EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS

EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS

We sponsor qualified defined-benefit and defined-contribution retirement plans for most of our employees. In addition to our qualified defined-benefit pension plans, we have unfunded non-qualified defined-benefit pension plans covering certain employees and former employees, which provide for benefits in addition to those provided by the qualified pension plans. Substantially all salaried employees participate in non-contributory defined-contribution retirement plans, to which payments are determined annually by the Compensation Committee.

Pre-tax expense included in income from continuing operations related to our retirement plans was as follows, in millions:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2021		2020		2019
Defined-contribution plans	$	57	$	46	$	40
Defined-benefit pension plans	435		38		24
	$	492	$	84	$	64

N. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Continued)

As of January 1, 2010, substantially all our domestic and foreign qualified and domestic non-qualified defined-benefit pension plans were frozen to future benefit accruals. In December 2019, our Board of Directors approved a resolution to terminate our qualified domestic defined-benefit pension plans. In the second quarter of 2021, we settled these plans and made a final contribution of $101 million. The settlement loss included $447 million of pre-tax actuarial losses that were reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2021. In the fourth quarter of 2021, we recognized a $7 million reduction in pension expense related to the reversion of excess pension plan assets for the settlement of such plans.

Changes in the projected benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets, and the funded status of our defined-benefit pension plans were as follows, in millions:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2021				2020
	Qualified		Non-Qualified		Qualified		Non-Qualified
Changes in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at January 1	$	1,118	$	162	$	1,034	$	161
Service cost	4		—		3		—
Interest cost	15		4		23		5
Actuarial loss, net	(105)		(6)		85		10
Foreign currency exchange	(16)		—		18		—
Benefit payments	(230)		(12)		(45)		(13)
Divestitures	(14)		—		—		(1)
Settlements	(594)		—		—		—
Projected benefit obligation at December 31	$	178	$	148	$	1,118	$	162
Changes in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at January 1	$	863	$	—	$	780	$	—
Actual return on plan assets	(40)		—		67		—
Foreign currency exchange	(7)		—		8		—
Company contributions	107		12		57		13
Expenses, other	—		—		(4)		—
Benefit payments	(230)		(12)		(45)		(13)
Settlements	(594)		—		—		—
Fair value of plan assets at December 31	$	99	$	—	$	863	$	—
Funded status at December 31	$	(79)	$	(148)	$	(255)	$	(162)

N. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Continued)

Amounts in our consolidated balance sheets were as follows, in millions:

	At December 31,
	2021				2020
	Qualified		Non-Qualified		Qualified		Non-Qualified
Other assets	$	1	$	—	$	1	$	—
Accrued liabilities (A)	—		(12)		(135)		(12)
Other liabilities (A)	(80)		(136)		(121)		(150)
Total net liability	$	(79)	$	(148)	$	(255)	$	(162)

___________________________

(A)As a result of the termination of the qualified domestic defined-benefit pension plans in 2021, the liabilities associated with these plans were reported as current liabilities at December 31, 2020.

Unrealized loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) before income taxes was as follows, in millions:

	At December 31,
	2021				2020
	Qualified		Non-Qualified		Qualified		Non-Qualified
Net loss	$	56	$	57	$	540	$	65
Net prior service cost	3		—		3		—
Total	$	59	$	57	$	543	$	65

Information for defined-benefit pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets was as follows, in millions:

	At December 31,
	2021				2020
	Qualified		Non-Qualified		Qualified		Non-Qualified
Projected benefit obligation	$	174	$	148	$	1,100	$	162
Accumulated benefit obligation	174		148		1,100		162
Fair value of plan assets	94		—		844		—

The projected benefit obligation was in excess of plan assets for all of our qualified defined-benefit pension plans at December 31, 2021 and 2020 which had an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets.

N. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Continued)

Net periodic pension cost for our defined-benefit pension plans, with the exception of service cost, is recorded in other net, in our consolidated statements of operations. Net periodic pension cost for our defined-benefit pension plans was as follows, in millions:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2021				2020				2019
	Qualified		Non-Qualified		Qualified		Non-Qualified		Qualified		Non-Qualified
Service cost	$	4	$	—	$	3	$	—	$	3	$	—
Interest cost	15		4		28		5		39		6
Expected return on plan assets	(9)		—		(24)		—		(44)		—
Settlement loss	404		—		—		—		—		—
Recognized prior service cost	1		—		1		—		—		—
Recognized net loss	14		2		22		3		18		2
Net periodic pension cost	$	429	$	6	$	30	$	8	$	16	$	8

We expect to recognize $7 million of pre-tax net loss from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into net periodic pension cost in 2022 related to our defined-benefit pension plans. For plans in which almost all of the plan's participants are inactive, pre-tax net loss within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is amortized using the straight-line method over the remaining life expectancy of the inactive plan participants. For plans which do not have almost all inactive participants, pre-tax net loss within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is amortized using the straight-line method over the average remaining service period of the active employees expected to receive benefits from the plan.

Plan Assets.    Our qualified defined-benefit pension plan weighted average asset allocation, which is based upon fair value, was as follows:

	At December 31,
	2021		2020
Equity securities	38	%	15	%
Debt securities	48	%	49	%
Other	14	%	36	%
Total	100	%	100	%

For our qualified defined-benefit pension plans, we have adopted accounting guidance that defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and prescribes disclosures about fair value measurements. Accounting guidance defines fair value as "the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date."

Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets measured at fair value. There have been no changes in the methodologies used at December 31, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020.

Common and Preferred Stocks and Short-Term and Other Investments: Valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded or based on the active market for similar securities. Certain investments are valued based on net asset value ("NAV"), which approximates fair value. Such basis is determined by referencing the respective fund's underlying assets. There are no unfunded commitments or other restrictions associated with these investments.

Private Equity and Hedge Funds: Valued based on an estimated fair value using either a market approach or an income approach, both of which require a significant degree of judgment. There is no active trading market for these investments and they are generally illiquid. Due to the significant unobservable inputs, the fair value measurements used to estimate fair value are a Level 3 input.

N. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Continued)

Corporate, Government and Other Debt Securities: Valued based on either the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded or using pricing models maximizing the use of observable inputs for similar securities. This includes basing value on yields currently available on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit ratings.

Real Estate: Real Estate consists of Real Estate Investment Trusts and property funds. Real Estate Investment Trusts are valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded or based on the active market for similar securities. Real Estate property funds are valued based on the underlying investments, which include inputs such as cost, discounted future cash flows, independent appraisals and market based comparable data. There is no active trading market for these investments, and they are generally illiquid. Due to the significant unobservable inputs, the fair value measurements used to estimate fair value are a Level 3 input.

Common Collective Trust Fund: Valued based on an amortized cost basis, which approximates fair value. Such basis is determined by reference to the respective fund's underlying assets, which are primarily cash equivalents. There are no unfunded commitments or other restrictions associated with this fund.

Buy-in Annuity: Valued based on the associated benefit obligation for which the buy-in annuity covers the benefits, which approximates fair value. Such basis is determined based on various assumptions, including the discount rate, long-term rate of return on plan assets and mortality rate.

The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while we believe our valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.

The following tables set forth, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the qualified defined-benefit pension plan assets at fair value as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, as well as those valued at NAV using the practical expedient, which approximates fair value, in millions.

	At December 31, 2021
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Valued at NAV		Total
Plan Assets
Common and Preferred Stocks:
United States	$	25	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	25
International	13		—		—		—		13
Corporate Debt Securities:
United States	—		5		—		—		5
International	—		2		—		—		2
Government and Other Debt Securities:
United States	—		4		—		—		4
International	—		36		—		—		36
Real Estate
United States	3		—		—		—		3
International	2		—		6		—		8
Short-Term and Other Investments – International	3		—		—		—		3
Total Plan Assets	$	46	$	47	$	6	$	—	$	99

N. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Continued)

	At December 31, 2020
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Valued at NAV		Total
Plan Assets
Common and Preferred Stocks:
United States	$	26	$	—	$	—	$	87	$	113
International	15		—		—		—		15
Private Equity and Hedge Funds – International	—		—		1		—		1
Corporate Debt Securities:
United States	—		143		—		—		143
International	—		23		—		—		23
Government and Other Debt Securities:
United States	—		214		—		—		214
International	—		46		—		—		46
Common Collective Trust Fund – United States	—		292		—		—		292
Buy-in Annuity - International	—		14		—		—		14
Short-Term and Other Investments – International	2		—		—		—		2
Total Plan Assets	$	43	$	732	$	1	$	87	$	863

Changes in the fair value of the qualified defined-benefit pension plan Level 3 assets, were as follows, in millions:

	2021		2020
Fair Value, January 1	$	1	$	19
Purchases	5		—
Sales	—		(18)
Fair Value, December 31	$	6	$	1

Assumptions.   Weighted average major assumptions used in accounting for our defined-benefit pension plans were as follows:

	At December 31,
	2021		2020		2019
Discount rate for obligations	1.80	%	1.70	%	2.50	%
Expected return on plan assets	3.00	%	2.00	%	3.00	%
Rate of compensation increase	—	%	—	%	—	%
Discount rate for net periodic pension cost	1.70	%	2.50	%	3.80	%

N. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Continued)

The discount rate for obligations for 2021, 2020 and 2019 is based primarily upon the expected duration of each defined-benefit pension plan's liabilities matched to the December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 Willis Towers Watson Rate Link Curve. At December 31, 2021, such rates for our defined-benefit pension plans ranged from 0.8 percent to 2.6 percent, with the most significant portion of the liabilities having a discount rate for obligations of 1.2 percent or higher. At December 31, 2020, such rates for our defined-benefit pension plans ranged from 0.7 percent to 2.1 percent, with the most significant portion of the liabilities having a discount rate for obligations of 1.6 percent or higher. At December 31, 2019, such rates for our defined‑benefit pension plans ranged from 1.1 percent to 3.0 percent, with the most significant portion of the liabilities having a discount rate for obligations of 2.4 percent or higher. The increase in the weighted average discount rate from 2020 to 2021 is principally the result of higher long-term interest rates in the bond markets. The decrease in the weighted average discount rate from 2019 to 2020 is principally due to lower long-term interest rates in the bond markets.

Our weighted average projected long-term rate of return on plan assets for the foreign qualified defined-benefit pension plans was 3.0 percent, 2.9 percent and 3.9 percent for 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The asset allocation of the investment portfolio was developed with the objective of achieving our expected rate of return and reducing volatility of asset returns, and considered the freezing of future benefits. The fixed-income portfolio is invested in corporate bonds, bond index funds and U.S. Treasury securities. Although we would expect alternative investments to yield a higher rate of return than the targeted overall long-term return, these investments are subject to greater volatility and would be less liquid than financial instruments that trade on public markets.

The fair value of our plan assets is subject to risk including significant concentrations of risk in our plan assets related to equity, interest rate and operating risk. In order to ensure plan assets are sufficient to pay benefits, a portion of our foreign qualified plans' assets are allocated to equity investments and real assets that are expected, over time, to earn higher returns with more volatility than fixed-income investments which more closely match pension liabilities. Within equity, risk is mitigated by targeting a portfolio that is broadly diversified by geography, market capitalization, manager mandate size, investment style and process.

In order to minimize asset volatility relative to the liabilities, a significant portion of plan assets are allocated to fixed-income investments that are exposed to interest rate risk. Rate increases generally will result in a decline in fixed-income assets, while reducing the present value of the liabilities. Conversely, rate decreases will increase fixed income assets, partially offsetting the related increase in the liabilities.

Potential events or circumstances that could have a negative effect on estimated fair value include the risks of inadequate diversification and other operating risks. To mitigate these risks, investments are diversified across and within asset classes in support of investment objectives. Policies and practices to address operating risks include ongoing manager oversight, plan and asset class investment guidelines and instructions that are communicated to managers, and periodic compliance and audit reviews to ensure adherence to these policies. In addition, we periodically seek the input of our independent advisor to ensure the investment policy is appropriate.

Other.    We sponsor certain post-retirement benefit plans that provide medical, dental and life insurance coverage for eligible retirees and dependents based upon age and length of service. Substantially all of these plans were frozen as of January 1, 2010. The aggregate present value of the unfunded accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation was $9 million and $10 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Cash Flows.    At December 31, 2021, we expect to contribute approximately $12 million in 2022 to our non-qualified (domestic) defined-benefit pension plans.

N. EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Concluded)

At December 31, 2021, the benefits expected to be paid in each of the next five years, and in aggregate for the five years thereafter, relating to our defined-benefit pension plans, were as follows, in millions:

	Qualified Plans		Non-Qualified Plans
2022	$	4	$	12
2023	4		12
2024	4		12
2025	5		11
2026	5		11
2027 - 2031	31		48