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Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Certain subsidiaries of the Company are sponsors or administrators of both qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans (“Pension Plans”). The largest of these plans is a non-contributory qualified defined benefit pension plan sponsored by RGA Reinsurance Company (“RGA Reinsurance”) that covers U.S. employees. The benefits under the Pension Plans are generally based on years of service and compensation levels. Effective January 1, 2020, the qualified defined benefit pension plan and some of the non-qualified defined benefit pension plans were closed to new employees.

The Company also provides select health care and life insurance benefits for certain retired employees. The health care benefits are provided through a self-insured welfare benefit plan. Employees become eligible for these benefits if they meet minimum age and service requirements. The retiree’s cost for health care benefits varies depending upon the credited years of service. Effective January 1, 2017, employees hired in the U.S. are not eligible for retiree health care benefits. The effect of the amendment was recorded in 2016 in AOCI and is being amortized through prior service cost. Virtually all retirees, or their beneficiaries, contribute a portion of the total cost of postretirement health benefits. Prepaid benefit costs and accrued benefit liabilities are included in other assets and other liabilities, respectively.

A December 31 measurement date is used for all of the defined benefit and postretirement plans. The status of these plans as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 is summarized below (dollars in millions):


	December 31,
	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	220	$	179	$	87	$	67
Service cost	14		13		3		3
Interest cost	6		7		2		3
Participant contributions	—		—		—		—
Actuarial (gains) losses	25		28		(9)		15
Benefits paid	(12)		(8)		(2)		(1)
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments	1		1		—		—
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	254	$	220	$	81	$	87


	December 31,
	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	133	$	103	$	—	$	—
Actual return on plan assets	18		21		—		—
Employer contributions	18		17		2		1
Participant contributions	—		—		—		—
Benefits paid and expenses	(12)		(8)		(2)		(1)

Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	157	$	133	$	—	$	—
Funded status at end of year	$	(97)	$	(87)	$	(81)	$	(87)


	December 31,
	Qualified Plans				Non-Qualified Plans(1)				Total
	2020		2019		2020		2019		2020		2019
Aggregate fair value of plan assets	$	157	$	133	$	—	$	—	$	157	$	133
Aggregate projected benefit obligations	160		139		94		81		254		220
Under funded	$	(3)	$	(6)	$	(94)	$	(81)	$	(97)	$	(87)

(1)For non-qualified plans, there are no required funding levels.


	December 31,
	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income:
Net actuarial loss	$	71	$	59	$	29	$	39
Net prior service cost (credit)	—		—		(8)		(9)
Total	$	71	$	59	$	21	$	30

The following table presents information for qualified and non-qualified pension plans with a projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in millions):


	2020		2019
Projected benefit obligation	$	254	$	220
Fair value of plan assets	157		133

The following table presents information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in millions):


	2020		2019
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	243	$	212
Fair value of plan assets	157		133

The components of net periodic benefit cost, included in other operating expenses on the consolidated statements of income, and other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income were as follows (dollars in millions):


	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020		2019		2018		2020		2019		2018
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	14	$	13	$	13	$	3	$	3	$	3
Interest cost	6		7		5		2		3		2
Expected return on plan assets	(9)		(7)		(8)		—		—		—
Amortization of net actuarial losses	5		4		4		2		1		2
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	—		—		—		(1)		(1)		(1)
Settlements	—		—		—		—		—		—
Net periodic benefit cost	16		17		14		6		6		6


Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income:
Net actuarial (gains) losses	17		14		13		(8)		14		(7)

Amortization of net actuarial (losses)	(5)		(4)		(4)		(2)		(1)		(2)
Amortization of prior service (cost) credit	—		—		—		1		1		1
Settlements	—		—		—		—		—		—
Foreign exchange translations and other adjustments	—		—		—		—		—		—
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	12		10		9		(9)		14		(8)
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and other comprehensive income	$	28	$	27	$	23	$	(3)	$	20	$	(2)

During 2021, the Company expects to contribute $18 million and $2 million to the pension plans and other benefit plans, respectively.

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service as appropriate, are expected to be paid (dollars in millions):


	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
2021	$	11	$	2
2022	14		2
2023	14		2
2024	15		2
2025	16		3
2026-2030	92		18

Assumptions

Weighted average assumptions used to determine the accumulated benefit obligation and net benefit cost or income were as follows:


	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2020		2019		2018		2020		2019		2018
Discount rate used to determine benefit obligation	2.22	%	3.05	%	4.02	%	2.41	%	3.17	%	4.17	%
Discount rate used to determine net benefit cost or income	3.03	%	4.03	%	3.41	%	3.17	%	4.17	%	3.56	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.00	%	7.00	%	7.35	%	—	%	—	%	—	%
Rate of compensation increases	4.69	%	4.61	%	4.17	%	—	%	—	%	—	%

The expected rate of return on plan assets is based on anticipated performance of the various asset sectors in which the plan invests, weighted by target allocation percentages. Anticipated future performance is based on long-term historical returns of the plan assets by sector, adjusted for the long-term expectations on the performance of the markets. While the precise expected return derived using this approach may fluctuate from year to year, the policy is to hold this long-term assumption constant as

long as it remains within reasonable tolerance from the derived rate. This process is consistent for all plan assets as all the assets are invested in mutual funds.

The assumed health care cost trend rates used in measuring the accumulated non-pension post-retirement benefit obligation were as follows:


	As of December 31,
	2020		2019
Health care cost trend rates assumed for next year	7.00	%	8.00	%
Ultimate cost trend rate	4.50	%	4.50	%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	2026		2026

Plan Assets

Target allocations of U.S. qualified pension plan assets are determined with the objective of maximizing returns and minimizing volatility of net assets through adequate asset diversification and partial liability immunization. Adjustments are made to target allocations based on the Company’s assessment of the effect of economic factors and market conditions. The target allocations for plan assets are 60% equity securities and 40% debt securities as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company’s plan assets are primarily invested in mutual funds. The mutual funds include holdings of S&P 500 securities, large-cap securities, mid-cap securities, small-cap securities, international securities, corporate debt securities, U.S. and other government securities, mortgage-related securities and cash.

Equity and debt securities are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk and overall market volatility. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, changes in the values of investment securities will occur and any change would affect the amounts reported in the financial statements.

The fair values of the Company’s qualified pension plan assets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 are summarized below (dollars in millions):


	December 31, 2020
			Fair Value Measurement Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds(1)	$	157	$	157	$	—	$	—
Cash	—		—		—		—
Total	$	157	$	157	$	—	$	—

(1)Mutual funds were invested 27% in U.S. equity funds, 39% in U.S. fixed income funds, 18% in non-U.S. equity funds and 16% in other.


	December 31, 2019
			Fair Value Measurement Using:
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Mutual Funds(2)	$	133	$	133	$	—	$	—
Cash	—		—		—		—
Total	$	133	$	133	$	—	$	—

(2)Mutual funds were invested 27% in U.S. equity funds, 39% in U.S. fixed income funds, 18% in non-U.S. equity funds and 16% in other.

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company classified all of its qualified pension plan assets in the Level 1 category as quoted prices in active markets are available for these assets. See Note 6 – “Fair Value of Asset and Liabilities” for additional detail on the fair value hierarchy.

Savings and Investment Plans

Certain subsidiaries of RGA also sponsor savings and investment plans under which a portion of employee contributions are matched. Subsidiary contributions to these plans were $19 million, $16 million and $15 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.