{"schema_version":2,"canonical_url":"https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/715/30/#35-subsequent-measurement","source":"FASB Accounting Standards Codification, Basic View","usage":"Study and research edition. Verify current requirements with the official source. Summaries, enrichment, and tags are machine-generated study aids. Paragraph html preserves source markup; snippet is abbreviated. Pending content is not necessarily effective.","topic":"715","topic_title":"Compensation—Retirement Benefits","subtopic":"715-30","subtopic_title":"Defined Benefit Plans—Pension","section":{"number":"35","label":"35 Subsequent Measurement","anchor":"35-subsequent-measurement","is_sec":false,"groups":[{"block":null,"heading":"Use of Reasonable Approximations","paragraphs":[{"citation":"715-30-35-1","para":"35-1","html":"This Subtopic is intended to specify accounting objectives and results rather than specific computational means of obtaining those results. If estimates, averages, or computational shortcuts can reduce the cost of applying this Subtopic, their use is appropriate, provided the results are reasonably expected not to be materially different from the results of a detailed application.
The projected benefit obligation as of a date is the actuarial present value of all benefits attributed by the plan's benefit formula to employee service rendered before that date. The projected benefit obligation is measured using an assumption as to future compensation levels if the pension benefit formula is based on those future compensation levels. Plans for which the pension benefit formula is based on future compensation are sometimes called pay-related, final-pay, final-average-pay, or career-average-pay plans. Plans for which the pension benefit formula is not based on future compensation levels are called non-pay-related or flat-benefit plans. The projected benefit obligation is a measure of benefits attributed to service to date assuming that the plan continues in effect and that estimated future events (including compensation increases, turnover, and mortality) occur. The accumulated benefit obligation as of a date is the actuarial present value of benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered before that date and based on current and past compensation levels. The accumulated benefit obligation differs from the projected benefit obligation in that it includes no assumption about future compensation levels. For plans with flat-benefit or non-pay-related pension benefit formulas, the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation are the same. The accumulated benefit obligation and the vested benefit obligation provide information about the obligation the employer would have if the plan were discontinued. Net periodic pension cost has often been viewed as a single homogeneous amount, but in fact it is made up of several components that reflect different aspects of the employer's financial arrangements as well as the cost of benefits earned by employees. The cost of a benefit can be determined without regard to how the employer decides to finance the plan. All of the following components shall be included in the net pension cost recognized for a period by an employer sponsoring a defined benefit pension plan: - a
- b
- c
- d
- e
Gain or loss (including the effects of changes in assumptions), which includes, to the extent recognized (see paragraph 715-30-35-26), amortization of the net gain or loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income - f
Amortization of any net transition asset or obligation existing at the date of initial application of this Subtopic and remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income.
Note that both the return on plan assets and interest cost components are in substance financial items rather than employee compensation costs. An employer may have net periodic pension cost that is a net credit (that is, net periodic pension income) as noted in paragraph 715-30-55-3. The service cost component of net periodic pension cost is the actuarial present value of benefits attributed by the plan's benefit formula to services rendered by employees during the period. The service cost component is conceptually the same for an unfunded plan, a plan with minimal funding, and a well-funded plan.
The measurement of the service cost component requires use of an attribution method and assumptions. That measurement is discussed in paragraphs . The service cost component shall be the only component of net periodic pension cost eligible to be capitalized as part of the cost of inventory or other assets.
The interest cost component of net periodic pension cost is interest on the projected benefit obligation, which is a discounted amount. Measuring the projected benefit obligation as a present value requires accrual of an interest cost at rates equal to the assumed discount rates. The interest cost component of net periodic pension cost shall not be considered interest for purposes of applying Subtopic 835-20. Plan amendments (including initiation of a plan) often include provisions that grant increased benefits based on services rendered in prior periods. Because plan amendments are granted with the expectation that the employer will realize economic benefits in future periods, this Subtopic does not require the cost of providing such retroactive benefits (that is, prior service cost) to be included in net periodic pension cost entirely in the year of the amendment, absent the conditions addressed in paragraph 715-30-35-16, but provides for recognition during the future service periods of those employees active at the date of the amendment who are expected to receive benefits under the plan. A plan amendment that retroactively increases benefits (including benefits that are granted to retirees) increases the projected benefit obligation. The cost of the benefit improvement shall be recognized as a charge to other comprehensive income at the date of the amendment. Except as specified in paragraphs , that prior service cost shall be amortized as a component of net periodic pension cost by assigning an equal amount to each future period of service of each employee active at the date of the amendment who is expected to receive benefits under the plan. If all or almost all of a plan's participants are inactive, the cost of retroactive plan amendments affecting benefits of inactive participants shall be amortized based on the remaining life expectancy of those participants instead of based on the remaining service period. Other comprehensive income is adjusted each period as prior service cost is amortized. See Example 1 (paragraph
715-30-55-93) for an illustration of this guidance to amortize prior service cost.
To reduce the complexity and detail of the computations required, consistent use of an alternative approach that more rapidly amortizes the cost of retroactive amendments is acceptable. For example, a straight-line amortization of the cost over the average remaining service period of employees expected to receive benefits under the plan is acceptable.
In some situations a history of regular plan amendments and other evidence may indicate that the period during which the employer expects to realize economic benefits from an amendment granting retroactive benefits is shorter than the entire remaining service period of the active employees. Identification of such situations requires an assessment of the individual circumstances and the substance of the particular plan situation. In those circumstances, the amortization of prior service cost shall be accelerated to reflect the more rapid expiration of the employer's economic benefits and to recognize the cost in the periods benefited.
Once a schedule of amortization of prior service cost from a specific retroactive plan amendment has been established, that schedule generally should not be revised. The initial schedule shall be revised only if a curtailment occurs (see paragraph 715-30-35-92) or if events indicate that the period during which the employer expects to realize future economic benefits from the retroactive plan amendment giving rise to the prior service cost is shorter than originally estimated or the future economic benefits have been impaired. The schedule shall not be revised because of ordinary variances in expected service lives of employees, nor shall the schedule be revised so that the prior service cost is recognized in net periodic pension cost more slowly. Prior service cost is recognized immediately in other comprehensive income, unless, based on an assessment of the facts and circumstances, the employer does not expect to realize any future economic benefits from that retroactive plan amendment (see paragraph 715-30-35-14). However, this Subtopic does not permit an accounting policy to recognize immediately as a component of net periodic pension cost the cost of all plan amendments that grant increased benefits for services rendered in prior periods. Adopting an accounting policy to recognize prior service cost immediately in net periodic pension cost would preclude making that assessment for future plan amendments as they occur. A plan amendment that retroactively reduces, rather than increases, benefits decreases the projected benefit obligation. The reduction in benefits shall be recognized as a credit (prior service credit) to other comprehensive income that shall be used first to reduce any remaining prior service cost included in accumulated other comprehensive income. Any remaining prior service credit shall be amortized as a component of net periodic pension cost on the same basis as the cost of a benefit increase.
As established in the definition of the term, a gain or loss results from a change in the value of either the projected benefit obligation or the plan assets resulting from experience different from that assumed or from a change in an actuarial assumption. This Subtopic generally does not distinguish between gains and losses that result from experience different from that assumed or from changes in assumptions. Gains and losses include amounts that have been realized, for example by sale of a security, as well as amounts that are unrealized. Because gains and losses may reflect refinements in estimates as well as real changes in economic values and because some gains in one period may be offset by losses in another or vice versa, this Subtopic does not require recognition of gains and losses as components of net pension cost of the period in which they arise.
However, immediate recognition of gains and losses as a component of net periodic pension cost is permitted if that method is applied consistently, and is applied to all gains and losses on both plan assets and obligations.
Gains and losses that are not recognized immediately as a component of net periodic pension cost shall be recognized as increases or decreases in other comprehensive income as they arise. Accounting for plan terminations and curtailments and other circumstances in which recognition of gains and losses as a component of net periodic pension cost might not be delayed is addressed in the Settlements, Curtailments, and Certain Termination Benefits Subsection of this Section. Asset gains and losses are differences between the actual return on plan assets during a period and the expected return on plan assets for that period. Asset gains and losses include both changes reflected in the market-related value of plan assets and changes not yet reflected in the market-related value (that is, the difference between the fair value of assets and the market-related value). Gains or losses on transferable securities issued by the employer and included in plan assets are also included in asset gains and losses. Asset gains and losses not yet reflected in market-related value are not required to be amortized under paragraphs . In other words, the expected return on plan assets generally will be different from the actual return on plan assets for the year. This Subtopic provides for recognition of that difference (a net gain or loss) in other comprehensive income in the period it arises. The amount recognized in other comprehensive income is also a component of net periodic pension cost for the current period. Thus, the amount recognized in other comprehensive income and the actual return on plan assets, when aggregated, equal the expected return on plan assets. The amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income affects future net periodic pension cost through subsequent amortization, if any, of the net gain or loss.
As a minimum, amortization of a net gain or loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income (excluding asset gains and losses not yet reflected in market-related value) shall be included as a component of net pension cost for a year if, as of the beginning of the year, that net gain or loss exceeds 10 percent of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. If amortization is required, the minimum amortization shall be that excess divided by the average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits under the plan. The amortization must always reduce the beginning-of-the-year balance. Amortization of a net gain results in a decrease in net periodic pension cost; amortization of a net loss results in an increase in net periodic pension cost. If all or almost all of a plan's participants are inactive, the average remaining life expectancy of the inactive participants shall be used instead of average remaining service. Any systematic method of amortizing gains or losses may be used in lieu of the minimum specified in the preceding paragraph provided that all of the following conditions are met: - a
The minimum is used in any period in which the minimum amortization is greater (reduces the net balance included in accumulated other comprehensive income by more).
- b
The method is applied consistently.
- c
The method is applied similarly to both gains and losses.
The gain or loss component of net periodic pension cost shall consist of both of the following: - a
The difference between the actual return on plan assets and the expected return on plan assets
- b
Amortization of the net gain or loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income.
Consequently, as stated in the definition of the term, the gain or loss component is the net effect of delayed recognition of gains and losses in determining net periodic pension cost (the net change in the gain or loss) in accumulated other comprehensive income except that it does not include changes in the projected benefit obligation occurring during the period and deferred for later recognition in net periodic pension cost.
See Example 2 (paragraph
715-30-55-101) for an illustration of this guidance on gains and losses.
Any method of pension accounting that recognizes cost before the payment of benefits to retirees must deal with two problems stemming from the nature of the defined benefit pension contract. First, estimates or assumptions must be made concerning the future events that will determine the amount and timing of the benefit payments. Second, some approach to attributing the cost of pension benefits to individual years of service must be selected. Thus, the assumptions and the attribution of cost to periods of employee service are fundamental to the measurements of net periodic pension cost and pension obligations required by this Subtopic. For example, the service component of net periodic pension cost, the projected benefit obligation, and the accumulated benefit obligation are based on an attribution of pension benefits to periods of employee service and on the use of actuarial assumptions to calculate the actuarial present value of those benefits. Paragraph 715-30-35-42 requires use of explicit assumptions, each of which individually represents the best estimate of a particular future event. This Subtopic also requires use of the terms of the pension plan itself, specifically the plan's benefit formula, as a basis for attributing benefits earned and their cost to periods of employee service. The service cost component of net periodic pension cost and the projected benefit obligation shall reflect future compensation levels to the extent that the pension benefit formula defines pension benefits wholly or partially as a function of future compensation levels (that is, for a final-pay plan or a career-average-pay plan). Future increases for which a present commitment exists as described in paragraph 715-30-35-34 shall be similarly considered. Assumed compensation levels shall reflect an estimate of the actual future compensation levels of the individual employees involved, including future changes attributed to general price levels, productivity, seniority, promotion, and other factors. All assumptions shall be consistent to the extent that each reflects expectations of the same future economic conditions, such as future rates of inflation. Measuring service cost and the projected benefit obligation based on estimated future compensation levels entails considering indirect effects, such as changes under existing law in social security benefits or benefit limitations that would affect benefits provided by the plan, for example, those currently imposed by Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code. However, possible amendments of the law shall not be considered in determining those pension measurements. Assumed compensation levels shall be consistent with assumed discount rates to the extent that both incorporate expectations of the same future economic conditions. Paragraphs
discuss and provide examples of applying this guidance.
The accumulated benefit obligation shall be measured based on employees' history of service and compensation without an estimate of future compensation levels. Excluding estimated future compensation levels also means excluding indirect effects of future changes such as increases in the social security wage base. In measuring the accumulated benefit obligation, projected years of service shall be a factor only in determining employees' expected eligibility for particular benefits, such as any of the following: - a
Increased benefits that are granted provided a specified number of years of service are rendered (for example, a pension benefit that is increased from $9 per month to $10 per month for each year of service if 20 or more years of service are rendered)
- b
Early retirement benefits
- c
Death benefits
- d
Disability benefits.
In some situations a history of regular increases in non-pay-related benefits or benefits under a career-average-pay plan and other evidence may indicate that an employer has a present commitment to make future amendments and that the substance of the plan is to provide benefits attributable to prior service that are greater than the benefits defined by the written terms of the plan. In those situations, the substantive commitment shall be the basis for the accounting.
Automatic benefit increases specified by the plan (for example, automatic cost-of-living increases) that are expected to occur shall be included in measurements of the projected, accumulated, and vested benefit obligations, and the service cost component required by this Subtopic. Also, retroactive plan amendments shall be included in the computation of the projected and accumulated benefit obligations once they have been contractually agreed to, even if some provisions take effect only in future periods. For example, if a plan amendment grants a higher benefit level for employees retiring after a future date, the higher benefit level shall be included in current-period measurements for employees expected to retire after that date.
For purposes of this Subtopic, pension benefits ordinarily shall be attributed to periods of employee service based on the plan's benefit formula to the extent that the formula states or implies an attribution. For example, if a plan's formula provides for a pension benefit of $10 per month for life for each year of service, the benefit attributed to each year of an employee's service is $10 times the number of months of life expectancy after retirement, and the cost attributable to each year is the actuarial present value of that benefit. For plan benefit formulas that define benefits similarly for all years of service, that attribution is a benefit-years-of-service approach because it attributes the same amount of the pension benefit to each year of service. For final-pay and career-average-pay plans, that attribution is also the same as the projected unit credit or unit credit with service prorate actuarial cost method. For a flat-benefit plan, it is the same as the unit credit actuarial cost method. Some plans define different benefits for different years of service. For example, a step-rate plan might provide a benefit of 1 percent of final pay for each year of service up to 20 years and 1½ percent of final pay for years of service in excess of 20. Another plan might provide 1 percent of final pay for each year of service but limit the total benefit to no more than 20 percent of final pay. For such plans the attribution called for by this Subtopic will not assign the same amount of pension benefit to each year of service.
Some plans may have benefit formulas that attribute all or a disproportionate share of the total benefits provided to later years of service, thereby achieving in substance a delayed vesting of benefits. For example, a plan that provides no benefits for the first 19 years of service and a vested benefit of $10,000 for the 20th year is substantively the same as a plan that provides $500 per year for each of 20 years and requires 20 years of service before benefits vest. For such plans the total projected benefit shall be considered to accumulate in proportion to the ratio of the number of completed years of service to the number that will have been completed when the benefit is first fully vested. If a plan's benefit formula does not specify how a particular benefit relates to services rendered, the benefit shall be considered to accumulate in either of the following manners: - a
For benefits of a type includable in vested benefits(for example, a supplemental early retirement benefit that is a vested benefit after a stated number of years), in proportion to the ratio of the number of completed years of service to the number that will have been completed when the benefit is first fully vested - b
For benefits of a type not includable in vested benefits (for example, a death or disability benefit that is payable only if death or disability occurs during active service), in proportion to the ratio of completed years of service to total projected years of service.
Under the attribution approach described in paragraphs , the projected benefit obligation will always equal or exceed the accumulated benefit obligation. Under some defined benefit pension plans (typically foreign plans), the actuarial present value of benefits to which an employee is entitled if the employee terminates immediately may exceed the actuarial present value of benefits to which the employee is entitled at the expected date of separation based on service to date. For example, at one point in time, the provisions of one country's severance pay statute required that, in most cases, the benefit an employee had accrued for service to date was payable immediately upon separation. The undiscounted value of that benefit payable currently would exceed the actuarial present value of that benefit if payment was estimated to occur at the employee's expected termination date. Another example arises in another country where legislation required that deferred vested benefits of terminated employees be statutorily revalued from date of separation to normal retirement age. If the vested benefit obligation was determined assuming employee termination at the measurement date, that vested benefit obligation could exceed the accumulated benefit obligation if that obligation was measured giving consideration to a statutory revaluation only after the employee's expected date of termination.
The vested benefit obligation in the situations addressed in the preceding paragraph may be determined as either the actuarial present value of the vested benefits to which the employee is entitled if the employee separates immediately or the actuarial present value of the vested benefits to which the employee is currently entitled but based on the employee's expected date of separation or retirement. Either approach is acceptable for situations not otherwise addressed by this Subtopic in which the facts and circumstances are analogous to those in the preceding paragraph.
This Subtopic requires an explicit approach to assumptions. That is, each significant assumption used shall reflect the best estimate solely with respect to that individual assumption. All assumptions shall presume that the plan will continue in effect in the absence of evidence that it will not continue. Actuarial assumptions reflect the time value of money (discount rate) and the probability of payment (assumptions as to mortality, turnover, early retirement, and so forth). Assumed discount rates shall reflect the rates at which the pension benefits could be effectively settled. It is appropriate in estimating those rates to look to available information about rates implicit in current prices of annuity contracts that could be used to effect settlement of the obligation (including information about available annuity rates published by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation). In making those estimates, employers may also look to rates of return on high-quality fixed-income investments currently available and expected to be available during the period to maturity of the pension benefits. Assumed discount rates are used in measurements of the projected, accumulated, and vested benefit obligations and the service and interest cost components of net periodic pension cost. Paragraph 715-30-35-43 permits an employer to look to rates of return on high-quality fixed-income investments in determining assumed discount rates. The objective of selecting assumed discount rates using that method is to measure the single amount that, if invested at the measurement date in a portfolio of high-quality debt instruments, would provide the necessary future cash flows to pay the pension benefits when due. Notionally, that single amount, the projected benefit obligation, would equal the fair value of a portfolio of high-quality zero coupon bonds whose maturity dates and amounts would be the same as the timing and amount of the expected future benefit payments. Because cash inflows would equal cash outflows in timing and amount, there would be no reinvestment risk in the yields to maturity of the portfolio. However, in other than a zero coupon portfolio, such as a portfolio of long-term debt instruments that pay semiannual interest payments or whose maturities do not extend far enough into the future to meet expected benefit payments, the assumed discount rates (the yield to maturity) need to incorporate expected reinvestment rates available in the future. Those rates shall be extrapolated from the existing yield curve at the measurement date. The determination of the assumed discount rate is separate from the determination of the expected rate of return on plan assets whenever the actual portfolio differs from the hypothetical portfolio described in this paragraph. Assumed discount rates shall be reevaluated at each measurement date. If the general level of interest rates rises or declines, the assumed discount rates shall change in a similar manner. Interest rates vary depending on the duration of investments; for example, U.S. Treasury bills, 7-year bonds, and 30-year bonds have different interest rates. Thus, the weighted-average discount rate (interest rate) inherent in the prices of annuities (or a dedicated bond portfolio) will vary depending on the length of time remaining until individual benefit payment dates. A plan covering only retired employees would be expected to have significantly different discount rates from one covering a work force of 30-year-olds. The disclosures required by Subtopic 715-20 regarding components of the pension benefit obligation will be more representationally faithful if individual discount rates applicable to various benefit deferral periods are selected. A properly weighted average rate can be used for aggregate computations such as the interest cost component of net pension cost for the period. An insurance entity deciding on the price of an annuity contract will consider the rates of return available to it for investing the premium received and the rates of return expected to be available to it for reinvestment of future cash flows from the initial investment during the period until benefits are payable. That consideration is indicative of a relationship between rates inherent in the prices of annuity contracts and rates available in investment markets. Therefore, it is appropriate for employers to consider that relationship and information about investment rates in estimating the discount rates required for application of this Subtopic. Thus a current settlement rate best meets that objective and is consistent with measurement of plan assets at fair value for purposes of recognizing as a net asset or a net liability, and disclosing the plan's funded status. Each year the discount rates shall be reevaluated to determine whether they reflect the best estimate of the current effective settlement rates. As established in paragraph 715-30-35-44, if interest rates generally decline or rise, the assumed discount rates shall change. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets shall reflect the average rate of earnings expected on the funds invested or to be invested to provide for the benefits included in the projected benefit obligation. In estimating that rate, appropriate consideration shall be given to the returns being earned by the plan assets in the fund and the rates of return expected to be available for reinvestment. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is used (with the market-related value of assets) to compute the expected return on assets. In the context of its use in this paragraph, funds to be invested refers only to the reinvestment of returns on existing plan assets. The expected return on plan assets shall take into consideration the availability of all plan assets for investment throughout the year. Therefore, the amount and timing of pension plan contributions and benefit payments expected to be made during the year shall be considered in determining the expected return on plan assets for that year. For example, if the employer's pension plan contribution for the year is expected to be made two months before the next measurement date, then the expected return on plan assets shall include an amount related to the expected return on that contribution only for those two months.
However, the expected return on future years' contributions to a pension plan shall not be considered in determining the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets shall reflect long-term earnings expectations only on existing plan assets and those contributions expected to be received during the current year.
For purposes of applying the plan-asset-related provisions of paragraph 715-30-25-1 and for purposes of the disclosures required by paragraphs 715-20-50-1 and 715-20-50-5, plan investments, whether equity or debt securities, real estate, or other, shall be measured at their fair value as of the measurement date. The fair value of an investment shall be reduced by brokerage commissions and other costs normally incurred in a sale if those costs are significant (similar to fair value less cost to sell). For purposes of determining the expected return on plan assets and accounting for asset gains and losses pursuant to paragraphs , a market-related asset value is used. Plan assets used in plan operations (for example, buildings, equipment, furniture and fixtures, and leasehold improvements) shall be measured at cost less accumulated depreciation or amortization for all purposes.
Paragraph 715-30-25-7 provides that to the extent that benefits currently earned are covered by annuity contracts, the cost of those benefits shall be the cost of purchasing the contracts, except for the cost of the participation right when participating annuity contracts are used (see paragraph 715-30-35-57). That is, if all the benefits attributed by the plan's benefit formula to service in the current period are covered by nonparticipating annuity contracts, the cost of the contracts determines the service cost component of net pension cost for that period. Benefits covered by annuity contracts shall be excluded from the projected benefit obligation and the accumulated benefit obligation. Except for participation rights, annuity contracts shall be excluded from plan assets. If the insurance entity obligated under an annuity contract is a captive insurer, or if there is any reasonable doubt that the insurance entity will meet its obligations under the contract, the contract is not an annuity contract for purposes of this Subsection. Benefits provided by the pension benefit formula beyond benefits provided by annuity contracts (for example, benefits related to future compensation levels) shall be accounted for according to the provisions of this Subtopic applicable to plans not involving insurance contracts.
Some contracts provide for a refund of premiums if an employee for whom an annuity is purchased does not render sufficient service for the benefit to vest under the terms of the plan. Such a provision shall not by itself preclude a contract from being treated as an annuity contract for purposes of this Subtopic.
Participating annuity contracts provide that the purchaser (either the plan or the employer) may participate in the experience of the insurance entity. Under those contracts, the insurance entity ordinarily pays dividends to the purchaser, the effect of which is to reduce the cost of the plan. The purchase price of a participating annuity contract ordinarily is higher than the price of an equivalent contract without participation rights. The difference is the cost of the participation right. In subsequent periods, the participation right shall be measured at its fair value if the contract is such that fair value is reasonably estimable. Otherwise, the participation right shall be measured at its amortized cost (not in excess of its net realizable value), and the cost shall be amortized systematically over the expected dividend period under the contract.
If the substance of a participating insurance contract is such that the employer remains subject to all or most of the risks and rewards associated with the benefit obligation covered and the assets transferred to the insurance entity, that contract is not an annuity contract for purposes of this Subtopic. Insurance contracts that are in substance equivalent to the purchase of annuities shall be accounted for as such. Other contracts with insurance entities shall be accounted for as investments and measured at fair value. For some contracts, the best available evidence of fair value may be contract value. If a contract has a determinable cash surrender value or conversion value, that is presumed to be its fair value.
Paragraph
715-30-35-54 identifies attributes related to the issuers of annuity contracts that preclude accounting for the contracts as annuity contracts. The Settlements, Curtailments, and Certain Termination Benefits Subsections of this Subtopic define attributes related to annuity contracts differently for purposes of accounting for them as annuity contracts.
The effect of the difference is that paragraph 715-30-35-85 excludes from settlement accounting those annuity contracts purchased from an entity that is controlled by the employer, whereas this Subsection excludes from annuity contracts those purchased from a captive insurer. The measurements of plan assets and benefit obligations required by this Subtopic shall be as of the date of the employer's fiscal year-end statement of financial position except in both of the following cases: - a
The plan is sponsored by a subsidiary that is consolidated using a fiscal period that differs from its parent's, as permitted by paragraph 810-10-45-12. - b
The plan is sponsored by an investee that is accounted for using the equity method of accounting under paragraph 323-10-35-6, using financial statements of the investee for a fiscal period that is different from the investor's, as permitted by that Subtopic.
If the exceptions in the preceding paragraph apply, the employer shall measure the subsidiary's plan assets and benefit obligations as of the date used to consolidate the subsidiary's statement of financial position and shall measure the investee's plan assets and benefit obligations as of the date of the investee's financial statements used to apply the equity method. For example, if a calendar year-end parent consolidates a subsidiary using the subsidiary's September 30 financial statements, the funded status of the subsidiary's benefit plan included in the consolidated financial statements shall be measured as of September 30.
If an employer's fiscal year-end does not coincide with a month-end, the employer may measure plan assets and benefit obligations using the month-end that is closest to the employer's fiscal year-end. That election shall be applied consistently from year to year. The election shall be applied consistently to all of its defined benefit plans if an employer has more than one defined benefit plan.
If an employer measures plan assets and benefit obligations in accordance with paragraph 715-30-35-63A and a contribution or significant event caused by the employer (such as a plan amendment, settlement, or curtailment that calls for a remeasurement) occurs between the month-end date used to measure plan assets and benefit obligations and the employer's fiscal year-end, the employer shall adjust the fair value of plan assets and the actuarial present value of benefit obligations so that those contributions or significant events are recognized in the period in which they occurred. An employer shall not adjust the fair value of plan assets and the actuarial present value of benefit obligations for other events occurring between the month-end date used to measure plan assets and benefit obligations and the employer's fiscal year-end that may be significant to the measurement of defined benefit plan assets and obligations, but are not caused by the employer (for example, changes in market prices or interest rates). Requiring that the pension measurements be as of a particular date is not intended to require that all procedures be performed after that date. As with other financial statement items requiring estimates, much of the information can be prepared as of an earlier date and projected forward to account for subsequent events (for example, employee service).
Unless an entity remeasures both its plan assets and benefit obligations during the fiscal year, the funded status it reports in its interim-period statement of financial position shall be the same asset or liability recognized in the previous year-end statement of financial position adjusted for both of the following: - a
Subsequent accruals of net periodic pension cost that exclude the amortization of amounts previously recognized in other comprehensive income (for example, subsequent accruals of service cost, interest cost, and return on plan assets)
- b
Contributions to a funded plan, or benefit payments.
Paragraph 715-30-25-5 notes that, sometimes, an entity remeasures both plan assets and benefit obligations during the fiscal year, for example, when a significant event such as a plan amendment, settlement, or curtailment occurs that calls for a remeasurement. If a significant event caused by the employer (such as a plan amendment, settlement, or curtailment) that requires an employer to remeasure both plan assets and benefit obligations does not coincide with a month-end, the employer may remeasure plan assets and benefit obligations using the month-end that is closest to the date of the significant event.
If an employer remeasures plan assets and benefit obligations during the fiscal year in accordance with paragraph 715-30-35-66A, the employer shall adjust the fair value of plan assets and the actuarial present value of benefit obligations for any effects of the significant event that may or may not be captured in the month-end measurement (for example, if the closest month-end is before the date of a partial settlement, then the measurement of plan assets may include assets that are no longer part of the plan). An employer shall not adjust the fair value of plan assets and the actuarial present value of benefit obligations for other events occurring between the month-end date used to measure plan assets and benefit obligations and the employer's fiscal year-end that may be significant to the measurement of defined benefit plan assets and obligations, but are not caused by the employer (for example, changes in market prices or interest rates). As required by paragraph 715-30-25-5, upon remeasurement, an entity shall adjust its statement of financial position in a subsequent interim period to reflect the overfunded or underfunded status of the plan consistent with that measurement date.
Measurements of net periodic pension cost for both interim and annual financial statements shall be based on the assumptions used for the previous year-end measurements unless more recent measurements of both plan assets and obligations are available or a significant event occurs, such as a plan amendment, that would ordinarily call for such measurements.
Net periodic pension cost, liabilities, and assets are determined on a plan-by-plan basis. Paragraph 715-30-25-6 requires that an employer that sponsors two or more separate defined benefit pension plans determine net periodic pension cost, liabilities, and assets by separately applying the provisions of this Subtopic to each plan. Some pension plans to which two or more unrelated employers contribute are not multiemployer plans. Rather, they are in substance aggregations of single-employer plans combined to allow participating employers to pool their assets for investment purposes and to reduce the costs of plan administration. Those multiple-employer plans ordinarily do not involve collective-bargaining agreements. They may also have features that allow participating employers to have different benefit formulas, with the employer's contributions to the plan based on the benefit formula selected by the employer. Such plans shall be considered single-employer plans rather than multiemployer plans for purposes of this Subtopic, and each employer's accounting shall be based on its respective interest in the plan. The transfer of excess pension assets to a retiree health care account or plan (whether or not the transfer of assets is made pursuant to applicable laws or regulations) shall be recognized as a negative contribution to (withdrawal of funds from) the pension plan and a positive contribution to the retiree health care plan. No gain or loss arises from the transfer of the excess pension assets.
A settlement and a curtailment may occur separately or together. This Subsection does not establish a proper sequence of events to follow in measuring the effects of a settlement and a curtailment that are to be recognized at the same time. Although the sequence selected can affect the determination of the aggregate gain or loss recognized, the selection of the event to be measured first (settlement or curtailment) is an arbitrary decision and neither order is demonstrably superior to the other. However, an employer shall consistently apply the same sequence of events in determining the effects of all settlements and curtailments that are to be recognized at the same time. If benefits to be accumulated in future periods are reduced (for example, because half of a work force is dismissed or a plant is closed) but the plan remains in existence and continues to pay benefits, to invest assets, and to receive contributions, a curtailment has occurred but not a settlement. If an employer purchases nonparticipating annuity contracts for vested benefits and continues to provide defined benefits for future service, either in the same plan or in a successor plan, a settlement has occurred but not a curtailment. If a plan is terminated (that is, the obligation is settled and the plan ceases to exist) and not replaced by a successor defined benefit plan, both a settlement and a curtailment have occurred (whether or not the employees continue to work for the employer). See Example 1 (paragraph 715-30-55-198) for an illustration of this situation. The maximum gain or loss subject to recognition in earnings when a pension obligation is settled is the net gain or loss remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income plus any transition asset remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income from initial application of this Subtopic. That maximum amount includes any gain or loss first measured at the time of settlement. The maximum amount shall be recognized in earnings if the entire projected benefit obligation is settled. If only part of the projected benefit obligation is settled, the employer shall recognize in earnings a pro rata portion of the maximum amount equal to the percentage reduction in the projected benefit obligation. If the purchase of a participating annuity contract constitutes a settlement under the guidance in paragraphs , the maximum gain (but not the maximum loss) shall be reduced by the cost of the participation right before determining the amount to be recognized in earnings. See Example 2 (paragraph
715-30-55-202) for illustrations of the settlement related guidance presented in this Subsection.
Plan assets and the projected benefit obligation shall be measured as of the date the settlement occurs (that is, as of the date that the criteria for a settlement are met and settlement accounting becomes appropriate) to determine the maximum gain or loss subject to pro rata recognition in earnings and the percentage reduction in the projected benefit obligation. The effects of a settlement can be reliably measured only if based on measures of plan assets and the projected benefit obligation as of the date of the settlement because intervening events (such as investment gains or losses, or gains or losses from changes in interest rates) after a prior measurement date could change the relevant amounts. Recognition in earnings of gains or losses from settlements is required if the cost of all settlements during a year is greater than the sum of the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic pension cost for the pension plan for the year. However, if the cost of all settlements in a year is less than or equal to the sum of the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic pension cost for the plan for the year, gain or loss recognition in earnings is permitted but not required for those settlements. The accounting policy adopted for recognition in earnings of gains or losses from settlements shall be applied consistently from year to year. The cost of a settlement is determined as follows for each of the different settlement types: - a
For a cash settlement, the amount of cash paid to employees
- b
For a settlement using nonparticipating annuity contracts, the cost of the contracts
- c
For a settlement using participating annuity contracts, the cost of the contracts less the amount attributed to participation rights. See paragraph 715-30-35-57.
The intent of the guidance in this Subsection is that if the substance of an insurance contract is such that the employer remains subject to all or most of the risks and rewards associated with the covered pension benefit obligation or the assets transferred to the insurance entity, the purchase of the contract does not constitute a settlement. The circumstances under which an employer shall recognize in earnings the net gain or loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income are limited and such recognition shall not occur if the settlement transaction is between an employer and an entity that it controls because such a transaction merely shifts the risks from one part of the entity to another part of the same entity.
Annuity contracts purchased from an entity that is controlled by the employer are excluded from settlement accounting. Therefore, an employer that purchases annuity contracts from an insurance entity that it controls shall not recognize any settlement gain or loss associated with the transaction (that is, the transaction does not qualify for settlement accounting). If there is any reasonable doubt that the insurance entity will meet its obligations under the annuity contract, the purchase of the contract does not constitute a settlement.
If the substance of a participating annuity contract is such that the employer remains subject to all or most of the risks and rewards associated with the benefit obligation covered or the assets transferred to the insurance entity, the purchase of the contract does not constitute a settlement. It may be difficult to determine the extent to which a participating annuity contract exposes the purchaser to the risk of unfavorable experience, which would be reflected in lower than expected future dividends. Additionally, under some annuity contracts described as participating, the purchaser might remain subject to all or most of the same risks and rewards related to future experience that would have existed had the contract not been purchased. Some participating insurance contracts may require or permit payment of additional premiums if experience is unfavorable. Accordingly, if a participating insurance contract requires or permits payment of additional premiums because of experience losses, or if the substance of the contract is such that the purchaser retains all or most of the related risks and rewards, the purchase of that contract does not constitute a settlement. An employer may decide to make up a deficiency in annuity contract payments following a settlement and subsequent insolvency by the insurance entity. The following guidance addresses how the employer shall account for the cost of making up the deficiency in annuity payments to the retirees.
The following circumstances identify the fact pattern to which the required accounting would apply.
An employer sponsors a defined benefit pension plan. The employer settles its pension obligation through the purchase of insurance annuity contracts from an insurance entity. The employer may or may not terminate the defined benefit pension plan. The employer appropriately applies the guidance in this Subsection. Subsequently, the insurance entity becomes insolvent and is unable to meet all of its obligations under the annuity contracts. The employer decides to make up some portion or all of any deficiency in annuity payments to the retirees. The employer shall recognize a loss in the circumstances described in the preceding paragraph at the time the deficiency is assumed by the employer if any gain was recognized on the original settlement. The loss recognized would be the lesser of any gain recognized on the original settlement or the amount of the benefit obligation assumed by the employer. The excess of the obligation assumed by the employer over the loss recognized shall be accounted for as a plan amendment or plan initiation in accordance with paragraphs . Subsequent accounting shall be in accordance with the provisions of this Subtopic. The prior service cost included in accumulated other comprehensive income associated with years of service no longer expected to be rendered as the result of a curtailment is a loss. For example, if a curtailment eliminates half of the estimated remaining future years of service of those who were employed at the date of a prior plan amendment and were expected to receive benefits under the plan, then the loss associated with the curtailment is half of the prior service cost included in accumulated other comprehensive income related to that amendment that has not been amortized as a component of net periodic pension cost. For purposes of applying the provisions of this paragraph, prior service cost includes the cost of retroactive plan amendments (see paragraphs ) and any transition obligation remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income from initial application of this Subtopic. The calculation of prior service cost associated with services of terminated employees is illustrated in Example 3 (see paragraph 715-30-55-212). The projected benefit obligation, exclusive of increases that reflect termination benefits that are excluded from the scope of this paragraph (see paragraphs ), may be decreased (a gain) or increased (a loss) by a curtailment. To the extent that such a gain exceeds any net loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income (or the entire gain, if a net gain exists), it is a curtailment gain. To the extent that such a loss exceeds any net gain included in accumulated other comprehensive income (or the entire loss, if a net loss exists), it is a curtailment loss. For purposes of applying the provisions of this paragraph, any transition asset remaining in accumulated other comprehensive income from initial application of this Subtopic shall be treated as a net gain and shall be combined with the net gain or loss arising thereafter. See Example 4 (paragraph 715-30-55-216) for an illustration of a curtailment if there is a remaining transition asset included in accumulated other comprehensive income. If the sum of the effects identified in the preceding two paragraphs is a net loss, it shall be recognized in earnings when it is probable that a curtailment will occur and the effects described are reasonably estimable. If the sum of those effects is a net gain, it shall be recognized in earnings when the related employees terminate or the plan suspension or amendment is adopted. If a situation also involves termination benefits, the change in the projected benefit obligation due to the curtailment is the difference between the projected benefit obligation for the respective employees before their acceptance of the offer of termination benefits and the projected benefit obligation determined for those employees by applying the normal pension plan formula and assuming no future service because of their termination. See Examples 5 through 6 (paragraphs ) for an illustration of this guidance. See also Example 7 (paragraph
715-30-55-231) for more illustrations of the curtailment-related guidance presented in this Subsection.