Chapter 20: Q6Q (page 1161)
What factors must be considered by the actuary in measuring the amount of pension benefits under a defined benefit plan?
Interest rate is the rate at which the borrower pays the interest expense to the lender of the loan. The lender decides the rate of the loan.
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What are postretirement benefits other than pensions?
Davis Corporation is a medium-sized manufacturer of paperboard containers and boxes. The corporation sponsors a noncontributory, defined benefit pension plan that covers its 250 employees. Sid Cole has recently been hired as president of Davis Corporation. While reviewing last year’s financial statements with Carol Dilbeck, controller, Cole expressed confusion about several of the items in the footnote to the financial statements relating to the pension plan. In part, the footnote reads as follows. Note J. The company has a defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all of its employees. The benefits are based on years of service and the employee’s compensation during the last four years of employment. The company’s funding policy is to contribute annually the maximum amount allowed under the federal tax code. Contributions are intended to provide for benefi ts expected to be earned in the future as well as those earned to date. The net periodic pension expense on Davis Corporation’s comparative income statement was \(72,000 in 2017 and \)57,680 in 2016. The following are selected figures from the plan’s funded status and amounts recognized in the Davis Corporation’s Statement of Financial Position at December 31, 2017 (\(000 omitted). Actuarial present value of benefi t obligations: Accumulated benefi t obligation (including vested benefi ts of \)636) \( (870) Projected benefi t obligation \)(1,200) Plan assets at fair value 1,050 Projected benefi t obligation in excess of plan assets $ (150) Given that Davis Corporation’s work force has been stable for the last 6 years, Cole could not understand the increase in the net periodic pension expense. Dilbeck explained that the net periodic pension expense consists of several elements, some of which may increase or decrease the net expense. Instructions (a) The determination of the net periodic pension expense is a function of five elements. List and briefly describe each of the elements. (b) Describe the major difference and the major similarity between the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation. (c) (1) Explain why pension gains and losses are not recognized on the income statement in the period in which they arise. (2) Briefly describe how pension gains and losses are recognized.
The following facts apply to the pension plan of Boudreau Inc. for the year 2017. Plan assets, January 1, 2017 $490,000 Projected benefi t obligation, January 1, 2017 490,000 Settlement rate 8% Service cost 40,000 Contributions (funding) 25,000 Actual and expected return on plan assets 49,700 Benefi ts paid to retirees 33,400 Instructions Using the preceding data, compute pension expense for the year 2017. As part of your solution, prepare a pension worksheet that shows the journal entry for pension expense for 2017 and the year-end balances in the related pension accounts.
Question: The following defined pension data of Doreen Corp. apply to the year 2017.
Defined benefit obligation, 1/1/17 (before amendment) $560,000
Plan assets, 1/1/17 546,200
Pension asset/liability 13,800 Cr.
On January 1, 2017, Doreen Corp., through plan amendment,
grants past service benefits having a present value of 120,000
Discount rate 9%
Service cost 58,000
Contributions (funding) 65,000
Actual return on plan assets 49,158
Benefits paid to retirees 40,000
Instructions
For 2017, prepare a pension worksheet for Doreen Corp. that shows the journal entry for pension expense and the year-end balances in the related pension accounts.
What is the role of an actuary relative to pension plans? What are actuarial assumptions?
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