The funded status of the 100 largest corporate defined
pension plans fell by $22 billion during December as measured by the Milliman
100 Pension Funding Index (PFI). In 2014, historically low interest rates were
the dominant factor in the $105 billion deficit increase. Pension liabilities
increased by $186 billion, while higher than expected investment returns
produced an $81 billion gain. The funded ratio was 83.6% as of December 31,
2014, down compared with the ratio of 88.3% on December 31, 2013.
Discount rates dropped by 88 basis points to 3.80% at the
end of 2014 from 4.68% at the end of 2013. The story for 2014 is very similar
to that of 2012 with declining discount rates driving the funded ratio down
despite investment gains of approximately 9.5% in both years. The funded status
drop for the month of December was due to higher liabilities based on a
decrease in corporate bond interest rates that are the benchmarks used to value
pension liabilities and underperformance.
December’s $3 billion decrease in market value brings the
Milliman 100 PFI asset value to $1.484 trillion, down from $1.487 trillion at
the end of November, an investment gain of 0.06% for the month. Pension
liabilities increased by $19 billion during December, raising the Milliman 100
PFI value to $1.775 trillion from $1.756 trillion at the end of November.
As for 2015, if the Milliman 100 PFI companies were to
achieve the expected 7.4% (as per the 2014 Milliman Pension Funding Study)
median asset return for their pension plan portfolios and the current discount
rate of 3.80% were maintained during 2015 and 2016, it’s projected that the
funded status of the surveyed plans would increase.
Source: Milliman
US
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