Net Periodic Pension Cost The components of net periodic pension cost were as follows: As part of our strategy to reduce the pension obligations and the resulting volatility of our overall financial  condition, during 2014, 2013 and 2012, we offered lump-sum payments to certain former employees. The lump-sum  payment offers each resulted in settlement charges due to the acceleration of the recognition of the accumulated  unrecognized actuarial loss. Therefore, we recorded settlement charges of $9.5 million, $3.2 million and $47.7 million  in connection with lump-sum payments made in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Total lump-sum payments were  approximately $24 million, $11 million and $112 million in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The 2012 lump-sum  payments were made out of the existing assets of The New York Times Companies Pension Plan and the 2014 and  2013 payments were made out of Company cash. Following ratification of an amendment to a collective bargaining agreement covering the employees in The  New York Times Newspaper Guild, in the fourth quarter of 2012, we amended The New York Times Newspaper  Guild pension plan to freeze benefit accruals for participating employees. We adopted a new defined benefit pension  plan for these employees. The amendment to The New York Times Newspaper Guild pension plan resulted in a  reduction of the projected benefit obligation and underfunded status of the plan by approximately $32 million. This  amount is recognized within “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” in our Consolidated Balance Sheet as of  December 30, 2012.  Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income/loss were as  follows: The estimated actuarial loss and prior service credit that will be amortized from accumulated other  comprehensive loss into net periodic pension cost over the next fiscal year is approximately $40 million and $2  million, respectively. The amount of cost recognized for defined contribution benefit plans was approximately $17 million for 2014  and $18 million for 2013 and 2012. THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY – P. 79 (In thousands) December 28, 2014 December 29, 2013 December 30, 2012 Net actuarial loss/(gain) $ 254,525 $ (178,088) $ 96,551 Prior service credit GLYPH<151> GLYPH<151> (31,839) Amortization of loss (30,665) (39,017) (37,813) Amortization of prior service cost/(credit) 1,945 1,945 (574) Effect of settlement (9,525) (3,358) (47,657) Total recognized in other comprehensive loss/(income) 216,280 (218,518) (21,332) Net periodic pension cost 29,703 16,568 82,702 Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive loss/(income) $ 245,983 $ (201,950) $ 61,370 GLYPH<160> December 28, 2014 December 29, 2013 December 30, 2012 (In thousands) Qualified Plans Non- Qualified Plans All Plans Qualified Plans Non- Qualified Plans All Plans Qualified Plans Non- Qualified Plans All Plans Components of net periodic pension cost Service cost $ 9,543 $ 184 $ 9,727 $ 11,225 $ 1,162 $ 12,387 $ 11,903 $ 1,656 $ 13,559 Interest cost 84,447 10,450 94,897 77,136 10,681 87,817 94,113 12,635 106,748 Expected return on plan assets (113,839) GLYPH<151> (113,839) (124,250) GLYPH<151> (124,250) (118,551) GLYPH<151> (118,551) Amortization and other costs 26,620 4,718 31,338 33,770 5,561 39,331 33,323 4,489 37,812 Amortization of prior service (credit)/ cost (1,945) GLYPH<151> (1,945) (1,945) GLYPH<151> (1,945) 574 GLYPH<151> 574 Effect of settlement GLYPH<151> 9,525 9,525 GLYPH<151> 3,228 3,228 47,657 GLYPH<151> 47,657 Effect of sale of Regional Media Group GLYPH<151> GLYPH<151> GLYPH<151> GLYPH<151> GLYPH<151> GLYPH<151> (5,097) GLYPH<151> (5,097) Net periodic pension cost/(income) $ 4,826 $ 24,877 $ 29,703 $ (4,064) $ 20,632 $ 16,568 $ 63,922 $ 18,780 $ 82,702