PENSION AND OTHER RETIREMENT BENEFITS
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Dec. 31, 2013
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PENSION AND OTHER RETIREMENT BENEFITS | NOTE 12 PENSION AND OTHER RETIREMENT BENEFITS
The following information is for those pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:
The following table summarizes the pre-tax net actuarial losses and prior service cost recognized in AOCI for the Company's Retirement Plans as of December 31:
The following table summarizes the estimated pre-tax net actuarial losses and prior service cost for the Company's Retirement Plans that will be amortized from AOCI and recognized as components of net periodic expense during the next fiscal year:
Net periodic benefit expenses recognized for the Retirement Plans for years ended December 31:
The following table summarizes the pre-tax amounts recorded in OCI related to the Company's Retirement Plans for the years ended December 31:
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit expense for years ended December 31:
The expected rate of return on plan assets represents the Company's best estimate of the long-term return on plan assets and is determined by using a building block approach, which generally weighs the underlying long-term expected rate of return for each major asset class based on their respective allocation target within the plan portfolio, net of plan paid expenses. As the assumption reflects a long-term time horizon, the plan performance in any one particular year does not, by itself, significantly influence the Company's evaluation. For 2013, the expected rate of return used in calculating the net periodic benefit costs was 7.30%. For 2014, the Company reduced the expected rate of return assumption to 6.80% to reflect the Company's current view of long-term capital market outlook and is commensurate with the returns expected to be generated by the plan assets under Company's current investment strategy.
Assumed Healthcare Cost Trend Rates at December 31:
Plan Assets Moody's investment objective for the assets in the funded pension plan is to earn total returns that will minimize future contribution requirements over the long-term within a prudent level of risk. The Company works with its independent investment consultants to determine asset allocation targets for its pension plan investment portfolio based on its assessment of business and financial conditions, demographic and actuarial data, funding characteristics, and related risk factors. Other relevant factors, including historical and forward looking views of inflation and capital market returns, are also considered. Risk management practices include monitoring of the plan, diversification across asset classes and investment styles, and periodic rebalancing toward asset allocation targets. The Company's monitoring of the plan includes ongoing reviews of investment performance, annual liability measurements, periodic asset/liability studies, and investment portfolio reviews. The Company's current target asset allocation is approximately 60% (range of 50% to 70%) in equity securities, 30% (range of 25% to 35%) in fixed income securities and 10% (range of 7% to 13% ) in other investments and the plan will use a combination of active and passive investment strategies and different investment styles for its investment portfolios within each asset class. The plan's equity investments are diversified across U.S. and non-U.S. stocks of small, medium and large capitalization. The plan's fixed income investments are diversified principally across U.S. and non-U.S. government and corporate bonds which are expected to help reduce plan exposure to interest rate variation and to better align assets with obligations. Approximately 3% of total plan assets may be invested in funds which invest in debts rated below investment grade and 3% may be invested in emerging market debt. The plan's other investments are made through private real estate and convertible securities funds and these investments are expected to provide additional diversification benefits and absolute return enhancement to the plan assets. The Company does not use derivatives to leverage the portfolio. The overall allocation is expected to help protect the plan's funded status while generating sufficiently stable returns over the long-term. Fair value of the assets in the Company's funded pension plan by asset category at December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
Cash and cash equivalent is primarily comprised of investment in money market mutual funds. In determining fair value, Level 1 investments are valued based on quoted market prices in active markets. Investments in common/collective trust funds are valued using the net asset value (NAV) per unit in each fund. The NAV is based on the value of the underlying investments owned by each trust, minus its liabilities, and then divided by the number of shares outstanding. Common/collective trust funds are categorized in Level 2 to the extent that they are readily redeemable at their NAV or else they are categorized in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company's investment in a private real estate fund is valued using the NAV per unit of funds that are invested in real property, and the real property is valued using independent market appraisals. Since appraisals involve utilization of significant unobservable inputs and the private real estate fund is not readily redeemable for cash, the Company's investment in the private real estate fund is categorized in Level 3.
The table below is a summary of changes in the fair value of the Plan's Level 3 assets:
Except for the Company's U.S. funded pension plan, all of Moody's Retirement Plans are unfunded and therefore have no plan assets.
Cash Flows The Company contributed $16.8 million and $17.8 million to its U.S. funded pension plan during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The Company made payments of $2.5 million and $3.5 million related to its U.S. unfunded pension plan obligations during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The Company made payments of $0.6 million and $0.7 million to its Other Retirement Plans during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The Company presently anticipates making contributions of $20.4 million to its funded pension plan and anticipates making payments of $6.2 million related to its unfunded U.S. pension plans and $0.8 million related to its Other Retirement Plans during the year ended December 31, 2014.
Estimated Future Benefits Payable Estimated future benefits payments for the Retirement Plans are as follows at ended December 31, 2012:
Defined Contribution Plans Moody's has a Profit Participation Plan covering substantially all U.S. employees. The Profit Participation Plan provides for an employee salary deferral and the Company matches employee contributions, equal to 50% of employee contribution up to a maximum of 3% of the employee's pay. Moody's also makes additional contributions to the Profit Participation Plan based on year-to-year growth in the Company's EPS. Effective January 1, 2008, all new hires are automatically enrolled in the Profit Participation Plan when they meet eligibility requirements unless they decline participation. As the Company's U.S. DBPPs are closed to new entrants effective January 1, 2008, all eligible new hires will instead receive a retirement contribution into the Profit Participation Plan in value similar to the pension benefits. Additionally, effective January 1, 2008, the Company implemented a deferred compensation plan in the U.S., which is unfunded and provides for employee deferral of compensation and Company matching contributions related to compensation in excess of the IRS limitations on benefits and contributions under qualified retirement plans. Total expenses associated with U.S. defined contribution plans were $18.8 million, $24.5 million and $14.9 million in 2013, 2012, and 2011, respectively.
Effective January 1, 2008, Moody's has designated the Moody's Stock Fund, an investment option under the Profit Participation Plan, as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan and, as a result, participants in the Moody's Stock Fund may receive dividends in cash or may reinvest such dividends into the Moody's Stock Fund. Moody's paid approximately $0.5 million and $0.4 million in dividends during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, for the Company's common shares held by the Moody's Stock Fund. The Company records the dividends as a reduction of retained earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity (Deficit). The Moody's Stock Fund held approximately 520,000 and 580,000 shares of Moody's common stock at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
International Plans Certain of the Company's international operations provide pension benefits to their employees. For defined contribution plans, company contributions are primarily determined as a percentage of employees' eligible compensation. Moody's also makes contributions to non-U.S. employees under a profit sharing plan which is based on year-to-year growth in the Company's diluted EPS. Expenses related to these defined contribution plans for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $19.7 million, $18.8 million and $16.3 million, respectively. For defined benefit plans, the Company maintains various unfunded DBPPs and retirement health benefit plan for certain of its non-U.S. subsidiaries located in Germany, France and Canada. These unfunded DBPPs are generally based on each eligible employee's years of credited service and on compensation levels as specified in the plans. The DBPP in Germany was closed to new entrants in 2002. Total defined benefit pension liabilities recorded related to non-U.S. pension plans was $7.8 million, $7.2 million and $5.3 million based on a weighted average discount rate of 3.58%, 3.53% and 4.79% at December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The pension liabilities recorded as of December 31, 2013 represent the unfunded status of these pension plans and were recognized in the consolidated balance sheet as mostly non-current liabilities. Total pension expense recorded for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was approximately $0.6 million for each year. These amounts are not included in the tables above. As of December 31, 2013, the amount of net actuarial losses included in AOCI related to non-U.S. pension plans was immaterial. The Company's non-U.S. other retirement benefit obligation was also immaterial as of December 31, 2013. |