Retirement Plans

12 Months Ended

May 31, 2021

Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Retirement Plans

NOTE 14: RETIREMENT PLANS

We sponsor programs that provide retirement benefits to most of our employees. These programs include defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution plans and postretirement healthcare plans. 

The accounting guidance related to postretirement benefits requires recognition in the balance sheet of the funded status of defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans, and the recognition in either expense or AOCI of unrecognized gains or losses and prior service costs or credits. We use MTM accounting for the recognition of our actuarial gains and losses related to our defined benefit pension and postretirement healthcare plans as described in Note 1. The funded status is measured as the difference between the fair value of the plan’s assets and the PBO of the plan.

A summary of our retirement plan costs over the past three years is as follows (in millions):

	2021			2020		2019
Defined benefit pension plans	$	88		$	148	$	112
Defined contribution plans		685			574		561
Postretirement healthcare plans		83			86		75
Retirement plans MTM (gain) loss		(1,176	)		794		3,882
	$	(320	)	$	1,602	$	4,630

The components of the MTM adjustments are as follows (in millions):

	2021			2020			2019
Actual versus expected return on assets	$	(1,712	)	$	(2,024	)	$	476
Discount rate change		(397	)		2,997			1,780
Demographic experience:
Current year actuarial loss		302			50			739
Change in future assumptions		685			(229	)		887
Curtailment gain on TNT Netherlands pension plan		(54	)		—			—
Total MTM (gain) loss	$	(1,176	)	$	794		$	3,882

2021

Net of all fees and expenses, the actual rate of return on our U.S. Pension Plan assets was 12.90%, which was higher than our expected return of 6.75%. Positive portfolio returns derived from our return-seeking assets were partially offset by losses from our fixed-income assets due to rising long-term interest rates. The weighted-average discount rate for all our pension and postretirement healthcare plans increased from 3.05% at May 31, 2020 to 3.11% at May 31, 2021. The demographic experience in 2021 reflects an update to our mortality and retirement rate assumptions and a current-year actuarial loss due to unfavorable experience compared to various demographic assumptions.

2020

The weighted-average discount rate for all our pension and postretirement healthcare plans decreased from 3.69% at May 31, 2019 to 3.05% at May 31, 2020. The demographic experience in 2020 reflects an update to our mortality assumption and a current-year actuarial loss due to unfavorable experience compared to various demographic assumptions. The actual rate of return, which is net of all fees and expenses, on our U.S. Pension Plan assets of 15.00% was higher than our expected return of 6.75%, as return-seeking assets, primarily equities, were positive despite equity market volatility. Additionally, fixed-income assets performed as expected as interest rates declined.

2019

The weighted-average discount rate for all our pension and postretirement healthcare plans decreased from 4.11% at May 31, 2018 to 3.69% at May 31, 2019. The demographic experience in 2019 reflects updates to several forward-looking assumptions, including retirement rates, disability incidence rates and salary increase assumptions, and a current-year actuarial loss due to unfavorable experience compared to various demographic assumptions. The actual rate of return, which is net of all fees and expenses, on our U.S. Pension Plan assets of 4.05% was lower than our expected return of 6.75%, as lower-than-expected equity returns negatively impacted return-seeking assets while fixed-income assets performed as expected due to declining interest rates.

PENSION PLANS. Our largest pension plan covers certain U.S. employees age 21 and over, with at least one year of service. Pension benefits for most employees are accrued under a cash balance formula we call the Portable Pension Account (“PPA”). Under the PPA, the retirement benefit is expressed as a dollar amount in a notional account that grows with annual credits based on pay, age and years of credited service, and interest on the notional account balance. The PPA benefit is payable as a lump sum or an annuity at retirement at the election of the employee. The plan interest credit rate varies from year to year based on a U.S. Treasury index. Prior to 2009, certain employees earned benefits using a traditional pension formula (based on average earnings and years of service). Benefits under this formula were capped on May 31, 2008 for most employees.

We also sponsor or participate in nonqualified benefit plans covering certain of our U.S. employee groups and other pension plans covering certain of our international employees. The international defined benefit pension plans provide benefits primarily based on earnings and years of service and are funded in compliance with local laws and practices. The majority of our international obligations are for defined benefit pension plans in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

In November 2019, we announced the closing of our U.S.-based defined benefit pension plans to new non-union employees hired on or after January 1, 2020. We will introduce an all-401(k)-plan retirement benefit structure for eligible employees with a higher company match of up to 8% across all U.S.-based operating companies in 2022. During calendar 2021, current eligible employees under the PPA pension formula will be given a one-time option to continue to be eligible for pension compensation credits under the existing PPA formula and remain in the existing 401(k) plan with its company match of up to 3.5%, or to cease receiving compensation credits under the PPA and move to the new 401(k) plan with the higher match of up to 8%. Changes to the new 401(k) plan structure become effective beginning January 1, 2022. While this new program will provide employees greater flexibility and reduce our long-term pension costs, it will not have a material impact on current or near-term financial results.

POSTRETIREMENT HEALTHCARE PLANS. Certain of our subsidiaries offer medical, dental and vision coverage to eligible U.S. retirees and their eligible dependents and a small number of international employees. U.S. employees covered by the principal plan become eligible for these benefits at age 55 and older, if they have permanent, continuous service of at least 10 years after attainment of age 45 if hired prior to January 1, 1988, or at least 20 years after attainment of age 35 if hired on or after January 1, 1988. Postretirement healthcare benefits are capped at 150% of the 1993 per capita projected employer cost, which has been reached under most plans, so these benefits are not subject to future inflation.

Effective January 1, 2018, certain of our U.S. postretirement healthcare benefits were converted to a lump-sum benefit in a notional retiree health reimbursement account (HRA) for eligible participants. The HRA is available to reimburse a participant for qualifying healthcare premium costs and limits the company liability to the HRA account balance. The amount of the credit is based on age at January 1, 2018 or upon age at retirement thereafter. In connection with this change, retiree health coverage was closed to most new employees hired on or after January 1, 2018.

PENSION PLAN ASSUMPTIONS. The accounting for pension and postretirement healthcare plans includes numerous assumptions, such as: discount rates; expected long-term investment returns on plan assets; future salary increases; employee turnover; mortality; and retirement ages.  

Weighted-average actuarial assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations and net periodic benefit cost of our plans are as follows:

	U.S. Pension Plans									International Pension Plans									Postretirement Healthcare Plans
	2021			2020			2019			2021			2020			2019			2021			2020			2019
Discount rate used to determine benefit    obligation		3.23	%		3.14	%		3.85	%		1.83	%		1.79	%		1.92	%		2.81	%		2.95	%		3.70	%
Discount rate used to determine net periodic    benefit cost		3.14			3.85			4.27			1.79			1.92			2.34			2.95			3.70			4.33
Rate of increase in future compensation    levels used to determine benefit obligation		5.06			5.17			5.10			2.83			2.19			2.27			—			—			—
Rate of increase in future compensation levels    used to determine net periodic benefit cost		5.17			5.10			4.43			2.19			2.43			2.22			—			—			—
Expected long-term rate of return on assets		6.75			6.75			6.75			2.71			3.26			3.12			—			—			—
Interest crediting rate used to determine net    periodic benefit cost		4.00			4.00			4.00			2.00			2.20			2.20			—			—			—
Interest crediting rate used to determine    benefit obligation		4.00			4.00			4.00			2.50			2.00			2.20			—			—			—

Our U.S. Pension Plan assets are invested primarily in publicly tradable securities, and our pension plans hold only a minimal investment in FedEx common stock that is entirely at the discretion of third-party pension fund investment managers. As part of our strategy to manage pension costs and funded status volatility, we follow a liability-driven investment strategy to better align plan assets with liabilities.

Establishing the expected future rate of investment return on our pension assets is a judgmental matter, which we review on an annual basis and revise as appropriate. Management considers the following factors in determining this assumption:

• the duration of our pension plan liabilities, which drives the investment strategy we can employ with our pension plan assets;

• the types of investment classes in which we invest our pension plan assets and the expected compound geometric return we can reasonably expect those investment classes to earn over time, net of all fees and expenses; and

• the investment returns we can reasonably expect our investment management program to achieve in excess of the returns we could expect if investments were made strictly in indexed funds.

For consolidated pension expense, we assumed a 6.75% expected long-term rate of return on our U.S. Pension Plan assets in 2021, 2020 and 2019. For 2022, we have decreased our EROA assumption to 6.50% due to the significant increase in 2021 administrative expenses payable from the pension trust due to higher Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) variable-rate premiums (“VRP”) and based on our long-term outlook for the capital markets. The higher 2021 PBGC VRP resulted in a 25-basis point lower rate of return compared to 2020. The historical annual return on our U.S. Pension Plan assets, calculated on a compound geometric basis, was 7.9%, net of all fees and expenses, for the 15-year period ended May 31, 2021.

The investment strategy for our U.S. Pension Plan assets is to utilize a diversified mix of public equities, fixed-income, and alternative investments to earn a long-term investment return that meets our pension plan obligations. Our largest asset classes are Corporate Fixed Income Securities and Government Fixed Income Securities (which are largely benchmarked against the Barclays Long Government, Barclays Long Corporate or the Citigroup 20+ STRIPS indices), and U.S. and non-U.S. Equities (which are mainly benchmarked to the S&P 500 Index and MSCI indices). Accordingly, we do not have any significant concentrations of risk. Active management strategies are utilized within the plan in an effort to realize investment returns in excess of market indices. Our investment strategy also includes the limited use of derivative financial instruments on a discretionary basis to improve investment returns and manage portfolio risk.

The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for investments measured at fair value:

• Cash and cash equivalents. Level 1 investments include cash, cash equivalents and foreign currency valued using exchange rates. Level 2 investments include short-term investment funds which are collective funds priced at a constant value by the administrator of the funds.

• Domestic, international and global equities. Level 1 investments are valued at the closing price or last trade reported on the major market on which the individual securities are traded.

• Fixed income. We determine the fair value of Level 2 corporate bonds, U.S. and non-U.S. government securities and other fixed-income securities by using bid evaluation pricing models or quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics.

• Alternative Investments. The valuation of Level 3 investments requires significant judgment due to the absence of quoted market prices, the inherent lack of liquidity and the long-term nature of such assets. Investments in private equity, debt, real estate, hedge funds and other private investments are valued at estimated fair value based on quarterly financial information received from the investment advisor and/or general partner. These estimates incorporate factors such as contributions and distributions, market transactions, market comparables and performance multiples.

The fair values of investments by level and asset category and the weighted-average asset allocations for our U.S. Pension Plans and our most significant international pension plans at the measurement date are presented in the following table (in millions):

	Plan Assets at Measurement Date
	2021
Asset Class (U.S. Plans)	Fair Value		Actual %			Target Range %(1)	Quoted Prices in Active Markets Level 1			Other Observable Inputs Level 2			Unobservable Inputs Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents	$	614		2	%	0 - 5%	$	36		$	578
Equities						30 - 50
U.S. large cap equity(2)		4,038		14				1,644
International equities(2)		4,664		16				3,792			2
Global equities(2)		1,668		6
U.S. SMID cap equity		967		3				884			5
Fixed-income securities						50 - 70
Corporate		8,714		29							8,714
Government(2)		5,190		17							3,296
Mortgage-backed and other(2)		1,065		3							226
Alternative investments(2)		2,855		10		0 - 15							$	537
Other		10		—				(14	)		(4	)
Total U.S. plan assets	$	29,785		100	%		$	6,342		$	12,817		$	537
Asset Class (International Plans)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	10		1	%		$	10
Equities
International equities(2)		123	7
Global equities(2)		335	18
Fixed-income securities
Corporate(2)		434	23
Government(2)		574	30					350
Mortgage-backed and other(2)		217	12
Other(2)		189	9					19		$	36
Total international plan assets	$	1,882		100	%		$	379		$	36

⁽¹⁾ Target ranges have not been provided for international plan assets as they are managed at an individual country level.

⁽²⁾ Certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share (or its equivalent) practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy but are included in the total.

	Plan Assets at Measurement Date
	2020
Asset Class (U.S. Plans)	Fair Value		Actual %			Target Range %(1)	Quoted Prices in Active Markets Level 1		Other Observable Inputs Level 2			Unobservable Inputs Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents	$	709		3	%	0 - 5%	$	278	$	431
Equities						30 - 50
U.S. large cap equity(2)		3,070		11				1,172
International equities(2)		3,314		12				2,738
Global equities(2)		1,350		5
U.S. SMID cap equity		673		3				673
Fixed-income securities						50 - 70
Corporate		7,983		30						7,983
Government(2)		6,928		26						4,652
Mortgage-backed and other(2)		634		2						170
Alternative investments(2)		2,264		8		0 - 15						$	416
Other		53		—				57		(3	)
Total U.S. plan assets	$	26,978		100	%		$	4,918	$	13,233		$	416
Asset Class (International Plans)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	9		1	%		$	9
Equities
International equities(2)		72		5
Global equities(2)		218		15
Fixed-income securities
Corporate(2)		342		23
Government(2)		510		34
Mortgage-backed and other(2)		188		12				318
Other(2)		158		10				13	$	63
Total international plan assets	$	1,497		100	%		$	340	$	63

⁽¹⁾ Target ranges have not been provided for international plan assets as they are managed at an individual country level.

⁽²⁾ Certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share (or its equivalent) practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy but are included in the total.

The change in fair value of Level 3 assets that use significant unobservable inputs is shown in the table below (in millions):

	U.S. Pension Plans
	2021		2020
Balance at beginning of year	$	416	$	302
Actual return on plan assets:
Assets held during current year		41		19
Assets sold during the year		22		16
Purchases, sales and settlements		58		79
Balance at end of year	$	537	$	416

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the changes in the pension and postretirement healthcare plans’ benefit obligations and fair value of assets over the two-year period ended May 31, 2021 and a statement of the funded status as of May 31, 2021 and 2020 (in millions):

	U.S. Pension Plans						International Pension Plans						Postretirement Healthcare Plans
	2021			2020			2021			2020			2021			2020
Accumulated Benefit Obligation (“ABO”)	$	30,455		$	29,272		$	2,417		$	2,012
Changes in PBO and Accumulated Postretirement    Benefit Obligation (“APBO”)
PBO/APBO at the beginning of year	$	30,199		$	26,554		$	2,242		$	2,301		$	1,314		$	1,221
Service cost		851			768			83			96			44			42
Interest cost		959			1,000			43			43			39			44
Actuarial loss (gain)		362			2,817			105			(87	)		125			85
Benefits paid		(948	)		(940	)		(53	)		(41	)		(112	)		(127	)
Settlements		—			—			(11	)		(6	)		—			—
Other		—			—			202			(64	)		46			49
PBO/APBO at the end of year	$	31,423		$	30,199		$	2,611		$	2,242		$	1,456		$	1,314
Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets at the beginning of year	$	26,978		$	23,320		$	1,713		$	1,578		$	—		$	—
Actual return on plan assets		3,436			3,530			114			146			—			—
Company contributions		319			1,068			142			86			64			77
Benefits paid		(948	)		(940	)		(53	)		(41	)		(112	)		(127	)
Settlements		—			—			(11	)		(6	)		—			—
Other		—			—			228			(50	)		48			50
Fair value of plan assets at the end of year	$	29,785		$	26,978		$	2,133		$	1,713		$	—		$	—
Funded Status of the Plans	$	(1,638	)	$	(3,221	)	$	(478	)	$	(529	)	$	(1,456	)	$	(1,314	)
Amount Recognized in the Balance Sheet at May 31:
Noncurrent asset	$	—		$	—		$	231		$	142		$	—		$	—
Current pension, postretirement healthcare and    other benefit obligations		(41	)		(38	)		(18	)		(17	)		(110	)		(104	)
Noncurrent pension, postretirement healthcare    and other benefit obligations		(1,597	)		(3,183	)		(691	)		(654	)		(1,346	)		(1,210	)
Net amount recognized	$	(1,638	)	$	(3,221	)	$	(478	)	$	(529	)	$	(1,456	)	$	(1,314	)
Amounts Recognized in AOCI and not yet reflected    in Net Periodic Benefit Cost:
Prior service (credit) cost and other	$	(61	)	$	(68	)	$	(6	)	$	(7	)	$	—		$	1

Our pension plans included the following components at May 31 (in millions):

	PBO		Fair Value of Plan Assets		Funded Status
2021
Qualified	$	31,225	$	29,785	$	(1,440	)
Nonqualified		198		—		(198	)
International Plans		2,611		2,133		(478	)
Total	$	34,034	$	31,918	$	(2,116	)
2020
Qualified	$	30,004	$	26,978	$	(3,026	)
Nonqualified		195		—		(195	)
International Plans		2,242		1,713		(529	)
Total	$	32,441	$	28,691	$	(3,750	)

The table above provides the PBO, fair value of plan assets and funded status of our pension plans on an aggregated basis. The following tables present our plans on a disaggregated basis to show those plans (as a group) whose assets did not exceed their liabilities. The fair value of plan assets for pension plans with a PBO or ABO in excess of plan assets at May 31 were as follows (in millions):

	PBO Exceeds the Fair Value of Plan Assets
	2021			2020
U.S. Pension Benefits
Fair value of plan assets	$	29,785		$	26,978
PBO		(31,423	)		(30,199	)
Net funded status	$	(1,638	)	$	(3,221	)
International Pension Benefits
Fair value of plan assets	$	241		$	205
PBO		(950	)		(876	)
Net funded status	$	(709	)	$	(671	)

	ABO Exceeds the Fair Value of Plan Assets
	2021			2020
U.S. Pension Benefits
ABO(1)	$	(29,083	)	$	(29,272	)
Fair value of plan assets		28,383			26,978
PBO		(29,888	)		(30,199	)
Net funded status	$	(1,505	)	$	(3,221	)
International Pension Benefits
ABO(1)	$	(722	)	$	(637	)
Fair value of plan assets		206			175
PBO		(908	)		(840	)
Net funded status	$	(702	)	$	(665	)

⁽¹⁾ ABO not used in determination of funded status.

Contributions to our U.S. Pension Plans for the years ended May 31 were as follows (in millions):

	2021		2020
Required	$	—	$	—
Voluntary		300		1,000
	$	300	$	1,000

For 2022, no pension contributions are required for our U.S. Pension Plans as they are fully funded under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. However, we expect to make voluntary contributions of $500 million to these plans in 2022.

Net periodic benefit cost for the three years ended May 31 were as follows (in millions):

	U.S. Pension Plans									International Pension Plans									Postretirement Healthcare Plans
	2021			2020			2019			2021			2020			2019			2021		2020		2019
Service cost	$	851		$	768		$	689		$	83		$	96		$	94		$	44	$	42	$	35
Interest cost		959			1,000			951			43			43			49			39		44		40
Expected return on plan assets		(1,786	)		(1,601	)		(1,505	)		(52	)		(51	)		(46	)		—		—		—
Amortization of prior service credit		(8	)		(105	)		(118	)		(2	)		(2	)		(2	)		—		—		—
Actuarial (gains) losses and other		(1,288	)		888			3,537			(13	)		(179	)		80			125		85		265
Net periodic benefit cost	$	(1,272	)	$	950		$	3,554		$	59		$	(93	)	$	175		$	208	$	171	$	340

Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income were primarily related to amortization of prior service cost in our U.S. Pension Plans of $8 million in 2021 and $105 million in 2020 ($6 million, net of tax, in 2021 and $80 million, net of tax, in 2020).

Benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, are expected to be paid as follows for the years ending May 31 (in millions):

	U.S. Pension Plans		International Pension Plans		Postretirement Healthcare Plans
2022	$	1,178	$	55	$	110
2023		1,246		57		120
2024		1,333		60		129
2025		1,417		65		137
2026		1,505		73		139
2027-2031		8,661		487		541

These estimates are based on assumptions about future events. Actual benefit payments may vary significantly from these estimates.

Future medical benefit claims costs are estimated to increase at an annual rate of 5.6% during 2022, decreasing to an annual growth rate of 4.0% in 2045 and thereafter.