Biased Actuarial Assumptions and SFAS 132R: The Not-for-Profit Response

In 2003, the FASB issued an accounting standard (132R) requiring defined-benefit pension plan sponsors to disclose in the notes the asset allocations of their sponsored pension plans. A motivation for this requirement was to help users evaluate a plan's expected rate of return (ERR) assumption which is supposed to be determined by the allocation of plan assets to risky investments. All else being equal, the higher the assumption, the lower is the pension expense and the higher are reported profits of plan sponsors. We hypothesize that not-for-profits used the ERR to inflate these earnings by reducing pension expenses. Using a dataset of audited financial statements and a difference-in-differences design, we find that not-for-profits significantly decreased their ERRs post-SFAS 132R. The results suggest that opportunistic actuarial assumptions by not-for-profits were reduced following the implementation of SFAS 132R.

Impact of defaults on participation in state supplemental retirement savings plans

This study examines the impact of the adoption of automatic enrollment provisions by the state of South Dakota for its supplemental retirement saving plan (SRP). In South Dakota, state and local government employees, including teachers, are covered by a defined benefit pension plan and by Social Security. Prior to the introduction of automatic enrollment, the proportion of newly hired employees who were contributing to the SRP was less than 5% in their first year of employment. After the introduction of automatic enrollment, over 90% of newly hired workers who were auto-enrolled were participating in the plan. Using a difference-in-difference approach we find that automatic enrollment changes differences in the participation rate by age, sex, and income. We also find that prior to the adoption of auto-enrollment, agencies that ultimately chose to implement this policy had higher participation rates compared to those that did not adopt auto-enrollment.

Determinants of Capital Adequacy Ratio for Pension Funds: A Case Study in Indonesia

The study aims to identify factors that influence adequacy ratio of fund (RKD) of the Defined Benefit Pension Plan (PPMP) Pension Fund for 2009-2018 period such as Return on Asset (ROA), Cash Conversion Rate (CCR), Central Board Revenue (CBR), Operating Expense Ratio (OER), Investment Expense Ratio (IER), and investment. The data analysis was common effect panel data regression method and the samples were twenty pension funds. The results showed that ROA, CCR, and investment have a significant and positive influence towards RKD, CBR and OER have a significant and negative influence towards RKD. IER did not have significant influence towards RKD.

Interest Rate in Pension Plan Premium Calculation

This research aims to analyze the relationship between the interest rate relationship is inversely proportional to the amount of the premium on the pension plan. The method used is to measure several variables, among others FSL (Future Service Liability), PVFSAL (Present Value Future Salary), PR (Pension Rate) and Premiums. Calculation, life annuity uses actuarial assumptions, one of which is the interest rate assumption, if the assumptions used are not in accordance with the actual conditions, then what happens is excessive payments or deficient payments. The interest rate has an influence in the process of calculating the defined benefit pension plan premium. Using the assumption of different interest rates (11%, 12 % and 13%), it is found that the interest rate relationship is inversely proportional to the amount of the premium. The results of this study are FSL, PVFSAL, PR and Premiums for the interest of 11%, 12% and 13% (participants aged 25 years) as follows 720,187.97; 554,000,24; 430,570.07 (FSL in Rupiah); 27,155,187.70; 24,922,770,59; 23,002,699.40 (PVFSAL in Rupiah); 2.6521; 2.2229; 1.8718 (PR in%) and 55,535.38; 46,546.85; 39,196.00 (Premiums in Rupiah)The higher the interest rate, the smaller the pension premium and vice versa.

Financial health and the valuation of corporate pension plans

We return to the long-standing question ‘Who owns the assets in a defined benefit pension plan?’ Unlike earlier studies, we condition the market's assessment of implicit property rights on the sponsoring firm's financial health. Valuations of financially strong firms, and those that are strengthening, are more responsive to pension plan funding. For these firms, each extra dollar of net plan assets is valued at between $0.50 and $1.00. In contrast, for weak and weakening firms, valuation effects are statistically indistinguishable from zero. This result is consistent with the higher likelihood that they will renege on their pension obligations.

Journal Entries As Tools For Financial Statement Disclosure Of Pension Reporting And Other Comprehensive Income

This instructional tool draws a linkage between the journal entries required to record the activity of a defined benefit pension plan and the disclosures required under authoritative guidance. The quarterly and year-end adjusting entries are presented and linked to the financial statements and supplemental financial disclosures. These entries directly tie to amounts reflected in those disclosures to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the reporting process. The resulting analysis is beneficial for the understanding of pension accounting and the reporting of accumulated other comprehensive income.