Exam 3 Flashcards
Plan sponsor
-Employer, makes payments into the fund
Plan participants
-Current or former employees, beneficiaries of the plan, receive retirement benefits from fund as “additional compensation” for work performed prior to retirement
Why do employers establish pension plans?
- Increase employee motivation and productivity
- Reduce current demand for pay increases
- Reduce turnover
- Comply with union contracts
- Remain competitive in the labor market
- Generate tax benefits
Qualified pension plans
Qualified receive beneficial tax treatment
- Employees: not taxed on contributions made to plan, not taxed on earnings, taxed when withdrawing pension amounts (deferred)
- Employers: receive a tax deduction for contributions to the plan, exclude pension fund earnings from taxable income
- Non-qualified receive no tax benefits
Defined Contribution Plan
- Contribution that employer makes is specified based on a formula that considers years of service, salary, etc
- Employee’s retirement depends on how much the contributions earn between now and retirement
- Employee bears the risk
Contributory vs. Non-contributory
Contributory: employee bears part of the cost of contributions or can make additional payments
Non: employer bears the full cost
Defined benefit plan
- Employer bears the risk
- Commits employer to pay specified retirement benefits to employees after retirement
- Benefits are established by a pension benefit formula but periodic contributions not specified
- Most pension plans to arise from collective bargaining are defined benefit
- Annual payments to receive during reitrement are usually (percent)(years of service)(avg highest salary)
ERISA
Employee Retirement Security Act, minimum contribution a company must make to ensure plan heath
PBGC
Government entity, guarantees minimum benefits
Pension Liability
- By initiating a pension plan, company entails a liability (future obligation attributable to current or past benefits received)
- Theoretically, should reflect the PV of retirement payments to be made in the future due to cumulative service performed to date
Pension Asset
-Plans are the sum of all the contributions a company makes to the pension fund plus earnings
PBO
Plan Benefit Obligation
- Actuarial PV of the benefits attributed to employee services rendered to date
- PV of all benefits earned as of right now
- Based on expected final salarY
ABO
Accumulated Benefit Obligation
- Obligation for benefits the employee is expected to receive using current salary levels
- Represents potential obligation faced by tteh firm if the plan is discontinued
Vesting
- Employers often require work for a certain amount of years before they can receive full benefits
- Either 100% vesting after 5 years or vesting schedule
VBO
Vesting Benefit Obligation
- VBO is the present value of all vested benefits employees have earned to date based on current salaries
- PBO>=ABO>=VBO
Plan assets
- Investments (bonds, stocks, etc) and operational assets used in administering pension fund
- Funds are restricted to payment and administration of pension plan benefits
- Assets sit off employers books and can be accessed by employer only upon plan termination
Underfunded
PBO > Plan Assets
Overfunded
PBO < Plan Assets
Change in PBO
Beginning PBO balance \+Service Cost \+Interest Cost \+/-Actuarial gains/losses \+/-Prior Service Cost -Benefits paid =Ending PBO balance
Change in Plan Assets
Beginning Plan Assets Balance \+Employer Contributions \+Return on Assets -Benefits Paid =Ending Plan Assets Balance
Attribution
- Pension expense measured according to attribution
- Allocate PV of future benefit to periods of employee service
Pension expense
Periodic pension expense is the net cost of 6 components:
- Service cost (+)
- interest cost (+)
- expected return on plan assets (+)
- amortization of prior service cost
- recognized portion of cumulative gains or losses
- amortization of transition asset or liability