Benefit Plans

Certain of our U.S. and international subsidiaries sponsor defined benefit pension plans. In addition, we provide minimal death benefits for certain U.S. retirees and pay a portion of healthcare costs for retired U.S. salaried employees and their dependents. Benefits for participants are coordinated with Medicare and the plan mandates Medicare risk (“HMO”) coverage wherever possible and caps the total contribution for non-HMO coverage. We also sponsor a defined contribution plan for certain salaried and hourly U.S. employees. Our 401(k) plan contributions were $5.7 million for 2017, $4.9 million for 2016 and $4.8 million for 2015.

Pension and Other Retirement Benefits

The components of net periodic benefit cost and other amounts recognized in OCI were as follows:



	Pension benefits									Other retirement benefits
($ in millions)	2017			2016			2015			2017			2016			2015
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	10.4		$	10.2		$	10.6		$	—		$	0.5		$	0.5
Interest cost	9.8			10.5			13.8			0.3			0.5			0.4
Expected return on assets	(13.5		)	(12.6		)	(19.5		)	—			—			—
Amortization of prior service credit	(1.3		)	(1.4		)	(1.3		)	(0.7		)	—			—
Amortization of transition obligation	—			0.1			0.1			—			—			—
Amortization of actuarial loss (gain)	4.9			4.8			5.9			(2.6		)	(1.4		)	(1.4		)
Curtailment	—			(2.1		)	—			—			—			—
Settlement effects	—			—			50.4			—			—			—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	10.3		$	9.5		$	60.0		$	(3.0	)	$	(0.4	)	$	(0.5	)
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in OCI, pre-tax:
Net (gain) loss arising during period	$	(9.0	)	$	19.2		$	17.7		$	(1.1	)	$	(0.1	)	$	(0.8	)
Prior service credit arising during period	—			—			(0.7		)	—			(3.0		)	—
Amortization of prior service credit	1.3			1.4			1.3			0.7			—			—
Amortization of transition obligation	—			(0.1		)	(0.1		)	—			—			—
Amortization of actuarial (loss) gain	(4.9		)	(4.8		)	(5.9		)	2.6			1.4			1.4
Curtailment	—			(3.1		)	—			—			—			—
Settlement effects	—			—			(50.4		)	—			—			—
Foreign currency translation	2.6			(3.2		)	(1.6		)	—			—			—
Total recognized in OCI	$	(10.0	)	$	9.4		$	(39.7	)	$	2.2		$	(1.7	)	$	0.6
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and OCI	$	0.3		$	18.9		$	20.3		$	(0.8	)	$	(2.1	)	$	0.1

Net periodic benefit cost by geographic location is as follows:



	Pension benefits						Other retirement benefits
($ in millions)	2017		2016		2015		2017			2016			2015
U.S. plans	$	7.3	$	7.1	$	57.4	$	(3.0	)	$	(0.4	)	$	(0.5	)
International plans	3.0		2.4		2.6		—			—			—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	10.3	$	9.5	$	60.0	$	(3.0	)	$	(0.4	)	$	(0.5	)

During 2016, we recorded a pension curtailment gain of $2.1 million in connection with our decision to freeze both our U.S. qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans as of January 1, 2019.

During 2015, we recorded a $50.4 million pension settlement charge within other expense, of which $47.0 million related to our purchase of a group annuity contract from MetLife to settle $139.4 million of our $313.6 million outstanding pension benefit obligation under our U.S. qualified pension plan. MetLife assumed the obligation to pay future pension benefits and provide administrative services beginning November 1, 2015 for approximately 1,750 retirees and surviving beneficiaries who retired before January 1, 2015 and are currently receiving payments from this plan. The purchase was funded directly by plan assets. The remaining portion of the pension settlement charge related to lump-sum payouts made to terminated vested participants of our U.S. qualified pension plan.

The following table presents the changes in the benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets, as well as the funded status of the plans:



	Pension benefits						Other retirement benefits
($ in millions)	2017			2016			2017			2016
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, January 1	$	(262.2	)	$	(246.3	)	$	(8.0	)	$	(10.2	)
Service cost	(10.4		)	(10.2		)	—			(0.5		)
Interest cost	(9.8		)	(10.5		)	(0.3		)	(0.5		)
Participants' contributions	(0.7		)	(0.6		)	(0.5		)	(0.5		)
Actuarial (loss) gain	(11.8		)	(23.4		)	1.2			0.1
Amendments/transfers in	—			—			—			3.0
Benefits/expenses paid	14.2			16.2			0.5			0.6
Curtailment	—			5.2			—			—
Foreign currency translation	(7.3		)	7.4			—			—
Benefit obligation, December 31	$	(288.0	)	$	(262.2	)	$	(7.1	)	$	(8.0	)

Change in plan assets:
Fair value of assets, January 1	$	192.4		$	188.9		$	—		$	—
Actual return on assets	34.4			16.8			—			—
Employer contribution	23.2			6.8			—			0.1
Participants' contributions	0.7			0.6			0.5			0.5
Benefits/expenses paid	(14.2		)	(16.2		)	(0.5		)	(0.6		)
Foreign currency translation	3.0			(4.5		)	—			—
Fair value of assets, December 31	$	239.5		$	192.4		$	—		$	—

Funded status at end of year	$	(48.5	)	$	(69.8	)	$	(7.1	)	$	(8.0	)

International pension plan assets, at fair value, included in the preceding table were $34.7 million and $28.8 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Amounts recognized in the balance sheet were as follows:



	Pension benefits						Other retirement benefits
($ in millions)	2017			2016			2017			2016
Current liabilities	$	(1.5	)	$	(1.5	)	$	(0.7	)	$	(0.7	)
Noncurrent liabilities	(47.0		)	(68.3		)	(6.4		)	(7.3		)
	$	(48.5	)	$	(69.8	)	$	(7.1	)	$	(8.0	)

The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss, pre-tax, consisted of:



	Pension benefits						Other retirement benefits
($ in millions)	2017			2016			2017			2016
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	74.5		$	86.0		$	(10.4	)	$	(11.9	)
Prior service credit	(0.8		)	(2.3		)	(2.4		)	(3.0		)
Total	$	73.7		$	83.7		$	(12.8	)	$	(14.9	)

The net actuarial loss and prior service credit for the defined benefit pension plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year are $3.8 million and $1.4 million, respectively. The net actuarial gain and prior service credit for the other retirement benefits plan that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year is $2.1 million and $0.7 million.

The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans was $283.7 million and $258.4 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, including $67.3 million and $60.6 million, respectively, for international pension plans.

All of the defined benefit pension plans have projected benefit obligations and accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Benefit payments expected to be paid under our defined benefit pension and other retirement benefit plans in the next ten years are as follows:



($ in millions)	Domestic		International		Total
2018	$	13.3	$	2.0	$	15.3
2019	14.2		2.1		16.3
2020	15.2		2.6		17.8
2021	14.7		2.5		17.2
2022	15.1		3.0		18.1
2023 to 2027	72.3		17.2		89.5
	$	144.8	$	29.4	$	174.2

In 2018, we expect to contribute $1.8 million to pension plans, of which $0.9 million is for international plans. Included in this amount is a $0.9 million contribution to our non-qualified defined benefit pension plan. In addition, we expect to contribute $0.7 million for other retirement benefits in 2018. We periodically consider additional, voluntary contributions depending on the investment returns generated by pension plan assets, changes in benefit obligation projections and other factors.

Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost were as follows:



	Pension benefits						Other retirement benefits
	2017		2016		2015		2017		2016		2015
Discount rate	3.48	%	3.99	%	4.08	%	3.90	%	4.30	%	3.90	%
Rate of compensation increase	4.01	%	4.04	%	4.07	%	—		—		—
Long-term rate of return on assets	6.47	%	6.95	%	6.84	%	—		—		—

Weighted average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations were as follows:



	Pension benefits				Other retirement benefits
	2017		2016		2017		2016
Discount rate	3.14	%	3.68	%	3.45	%	3.90	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.80	%	4.04	%	—		—

The discount rate used to determine the benefit obligations for U.S. pension plans was 3.65% and 4.15% as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The weighted average discount rate used to determine the benefit obligations for all international plans was 1.62% and 2.25% as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The rate of compensation increase for U.S. plans was 4.25% for 2017 and 2016, while the weighted average rate for all international plans was 2.44% for 2017 and 2.59% for 2016. Other retirement benefits were only available to U.S. employees. The long-term rate of return for U.S. plans, which accounts for 87% of global plan assets, was 7.00% for 2017 and 7.25% for 2016 and 2015.

The assumed healthcare cost trend rate used to determine benefit obligations was 6.60% for all participants in 2017, decreasing to 5.00% by 2022. A change in the assumed healthcare cost trend rate by one percentage point would result in a $0.1 million increase or decrease in the postretirement obligation. The assumed healthcare cost trend rate used to determine net periodic benefit cost was 6.60% for all participants in 2017, decreasing to 5.00% by 2021. The effect of a one percentage point increase or decrease in the rate would have an immaterial impact in the aggregate service and interest cost components.

The weighted average asset allocations by asset category for our pension plans, at December 31, were as follows:



	2017		2016
Equity securities	63	%	60	%
Debt securities	37	%	30	%
Other	—	%	10	%
	100	%	100	%

Our U.S. pension plan is managed as a balanced portfolio comprised of two components: equity and fixed income debt securities. Equity investments are used to maximize the long-term real growth of fund assets, while fixed income investments are used to generate current income, provide for a more stable periodic return, and provide some protection against a prolonged decline in the market value of equity investments. Temporary funds may be held as cash. We maintain a long-term strategic asset allocation policy which provides guidelines for ensuring that the fund's investments are managed with the short-term and long-term financial goals of the fund, while allowing the flexibility to react to unexpected changes in capital markets.

The following are the U.S. target asset allocations and acceptable allocation ranges:



	Target allocation	Allocation range
Equity securities	65%	60% - 70%
Debt securities	35%	30% - 40%
Other	—%	0% - 5%

Diversification across and within asset classes is the primary means by which we mitigate risk. We maintain guidelines for all asset and sub-asset categories in order to avoid excessive investment concentrations. Fund assets are monitored on a regular basis. If at any time the fund asset allocation is not within the acceptable allocation range, funds will be reallocated. We also review the fund on a regular basis to ensure that the investment returns received are consistent with the short-term and long-term goals of the fund and with comparable market returns. We are prohibited from pledging fund securities and from investing pension fund assets in our own stock, securities on margin or derivative securities.

The following tables present the fair value of our pension plan assets, utilizing the fair value hierarchy discussed in Note 10, Fair Value Measurements. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, certain pension plan assets measured at net asset value (“NAV”) have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy.



	Balance at
	December 31,		Basis of Fair Value Measurements
($ in millions)	2017		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Cash	$	1.6	$	1.6	$	—	$	—
Equity securities:
International mutual funds	15.5		15.5		—		—
Fixed income securities:
Mutual funds	17.5		17.5		—		—
Pension plan assets in the fair value hierarchy	$	34.6	$	34.6	$	—	$	—
Pension plan assets measured at NAV	204.9
Pension plan assets at fair value	$	239.5



	Balance at
	December 31,		Basis of Fair Value Measurements
($ in millions)	2016		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Cash	$	10.0	$	10.0	$	—	$	—
Equity securities:
Indexed mutual funds	8.9		8.9		—		—
International mutual funds	3.0		3.0		—		—
Fixed income securities:
Mutual funds	9.2		9.2		—		—
Insurance contract	0.5		—		0.5		—
Balanced mutual fund	6.3		6.3		—		—
Pension plan assets in the fair value hierarchy	$	37.9	$	37.4	$	0.5	$	—
Pension plan assets measured at NAV	154.5
Pension plan assets at fair value	$	192.4