Table of Contents Fair Value Measurements for Defined Benefit Pension Plan Assets The fair value hierarchy is also applied to certain other assets that indirectly impact the Company's consolidated financial statements. Assets contributed by the Company to its defined benefit pension plans become the property of the individual plans. Even though the Company no longer has control over these assets, it is indirectly impacted by subsequent fair value adjustments to these assets. The actual return on these assets impacts the Company's future net periodic benefit cost, as well as amounts recognized in its Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company uses the fair value hierarchy to measure the fair value of assets held by its U.S. and U.K. defined benefit pension plans. The following table summarizes the level within the fair value hierarchy used to determine the fair value of the Company's pension plan assets for its U.S Qualified Plan at December 31, 2019 and 2018: (a) net amounts payable for unsettled security transactions. 96 December 31, 2019 2018 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total (In thousands) Asset Category: Cash and cash equivalents $ 8,082 $ — $ — $ 8,082 $ 2,274 $ — $ — $ 2,274 Short-term investment funds — 5,496 — 5,496 — 5,005 — 5,005 Common Collective Equity funds: U.S. — 60,039 — 60,039 — 52,882 — 52,882 International — 26,142 — 26,142 — 22,747 — 22,747 Common Collective Fixed Income Funds and Fixed Income Securities: U.S. 51,247 224,747 — 275,994 38,719 183,152 — 221,871 International — 3,745 — 3,745 — 17,523 — 17,523 Alternative strategy funds — 8,880 14,766 23,646 — 8,915 16,488 25,403 TOTAL PLAN ASSETS $ 59,329 $ 329,049 $ 14,766 403,144 $ 40,993 $ 290,224 $ 16,488 347,705 Other plan liabilities, net (a) (26,220 ) — NET PLAN ASSETS $ 376,924 $ 347,705