Savings Plans, Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Employee Benefits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

General Discussion Of Pension And Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Savings Plans, Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Employee Benefits

NOTE 15. SAVINGS PLANS, PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

SAVINGS PLANS

Substantially all of our employees are eligible to participate in 401(k) savings plans. In 2021, 2020 and 2019, we made matching 401(k) contributions on behalf of our employees of $4.0 million, $3.6 million and $3.9 million, respectively.

Certain eligible employees who earn awards under our annual incentive plan are permitted to defer receipt of those awards. These employees may defer receipt of a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 100% of the award pursuant to rules established under our Management Deferred Compensation Plan. Eligible employees may also defer up to 50% of their base salary under the Management Deferred Compensation Plan. At the employee's election, deferrals may be deemed invested in a company stock unit account, a directed investment account with certain deemed investments available under the 401(k) Plan or a combination of these investment vehicles. If company stock units are elected, dividend equivalents are credited to the units.

PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

On January 1, 2011, we closed the legacy Potlatch pension plans to any new salaried and hourly non-represented employees hired after that date. Upon merger with Deltic in 2018, we assumed one qualified pension plan, one nonqualified pension plan and one other postretirement benefit (OPEB) plan. The acquired plans have been frozen to new participants since 2014. Effective December 31, 2021, the Potlatch Salaried Retirement Plan (Salaried Plan) was amended and the three other qualified pension plans merged into the Salaried Plan creating one qualified pension plan renamed the PotlatchDeltic Retirement Plan. There were no impacts to vesting provisions or benefits to the participants of the former qualified defined benefit pension plans as a result of the merger into the Salaried Plan.

Effective January 1, 2010, we restructured our OPEB plans. The level of health care subsidy was frozen for retirees so that all future increments in health care costs will be borne by the retirees. In addition, for retirees under age 65, a high deductible medical plan was created and all other existing health care plans were terminated. For retirees age 65 or over, the medical plan is divided into two components, with the company continuing to self-insure prescription drugs and providing a fully-insured medical supplemental plan through AARP/United Healthcare. Both health care plans require the retiree to contribute amounts in excess of the company subsidy in order to continue coverage. The Plan does not pay for vision, dental and life insurance for the retirees. The effect of these retiree plan changes was a reduction in the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation of $76.7 million, which was recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss as of December 31, 2009 and was fully amortized as of December 31, 2019.

In February 2020, we purchased a group annuity contract from an insurance company to transfer $101.1 million of our outstanding pension benefit obligation related to our qualified pension plans to the insurance company. This transaction was funded with plan assets. As a result of the transaction, the insurance company assumed responsibility for annuity administration and benefit payments to select retirees, with no change to their monthly retirement benefit payment amounts. In connection with this transaction, we recorded a non-cash pretax settlement charge of $43.0 million as a result of accelerating the recognition of actuarial losses included in accumulated other comprehensive loss that would have been recognized in future periods. The settlement also triggered a remeasurement of plan assets and liabilities. We updated the discount rate used to measure our projected benefit obligation for the qualified pension plans as of February 29, 2020 and to calculate the related net periodic benefit cost for the remainder of 2020 to 2.95% from 3.40%. All other pension assumptions were unchanged.

We use a December 31 measurement date for our benefit plans and obligations. We recognize the underfunded status of our defined benefit pension plans and OPEB plan obligations on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We recognize changes in the funded status in the year in which changes occur in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss and amortize actuarial gains and losses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as net periodic cost (benefit).

Changes in benefit obligation, plan assets and funded status for our pension and OPEB plans are as follows:

	Pension Plans						OPEB
(in thousands)	2021			2020			2021			2020
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	(408,429	)	$	(474,237	)	$	(50,835	)	$	(46,395	)
Service cost		(8,182	)		(8,932	)		(670	)		(508	)
Interest cost		(10,533	)		(12,263	)		(1,267	)		(1,502	)
Actuarial gain (loss)		17,204			(38,366	)		16,614			(6,415	)
Benefits paid		23,735			23,614			3,900			3,985
Plan settlements		—			101,755			—			—
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	(386,205	)	$	(408,429	)	$	(32,258	)	$	(50,835	)
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	325,790		$	398,468		$	—		$	—
Actual return on plan assets		22,597			46,672			—			—
Employer contributions and benefit payments		5,144			6,019			3,900			3,985
Benefits paid		(23,735	)		(23,614	)		(3,900	)		(3,985	)
Plan settlements		—			(101,755	)		—			—
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	329,796		$	325,790		$	—		$	—
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets:
Current liabilities	$	(2,462	)	$	(2,363	)	$	(2,531	)	$	(4,211	)
Noncurrent assets		—			1,907			—			—
Noncurrent liabilities		(53,947	)		(82,183	)		(29,727	)		(46,624	)
Funded status	$	(56,409	)	$	(82,639	)	$	(32,258	)	$	(50,835	)

The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans is determined using the actuarial present value of the vested benefits to which the employee is currently entitled and the employee’s expected date of separation for retirement. At December 31, 2021 and 2020, the accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans was $374.7 million and $390.3 million, respectively. Actuarial gain (loss) in our pension plans is primarily due to year over year changes in the discount rate. Actuarial gain (loss) for our OPEB plans is primarily due to year over year changes in the discount rate and assumptions associated with medical trends, claims and participant contributions. During 2021 and 2020, funding of pension and other postretirement employee benefit plans was $9.0 million and $10.0 million, respectively.

Pension plans with projected benefit obligations greater than plan assets at December 31 are as follows:

		2021		2020
Projected benefit obligations	$	386,205	$	350,091
Fair value of plan assets	$	329,796	$	265,546

Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations greater than plan assets at December 31 are as follows:

		2021		2020
Accumulated benefit obligations	$	374,719	$	332,012
Fair value of plan assets	$	329,796	$	265,546

PENSION ASSETS

We utilize formal investment policy guidelines for our company-sponsored pension plan assets. Management is responsible for ensuring the investment policy and guidelines are adhered to and the investment objectives are met.

The general policy states that plan assets will be invested to seek the greatest return consistent with the fiduciary character of the pension funds and to allow the plans to meet the need for timely pension benefit payments. The specific investment guidelines stipulate that management will maintain adequate liquidity for meeting expected benefit payments by reviewing, on a timely basis, contribution and benefit payment levels and appropriately revise long-term and short-term asset allocations. Management takes reasonable and prudent steps to preserve the value of pension fund assets and to avoid the risk of large losses. Major steps taken to provide this protection include the following:

•Assets are diversified among various asset classes, such as global equities, fixed income, alternatives and liquid reserves.

•Periodic reviews of allocations within these ranges are made to determine what adjustments should be made based on changing economic and market conditions and specific liquidity requirements.

•Assets are managed by professional investment managers and may be invested in separately managed accounts or commingled funds.

•Assets are not invested in PotlatchDeltic stock.

The investment guidelines also provide that the individual investment managers are expected to achieve a reasonable rate of return over a market cycle. Emphasis will be placed on long-term performance versus short-term market aberrations. Factors to be considered in determining reasonable rates of return include performance achieved by a diverse cross section of other investment managers, performance of commonly used benchmarks (e.g., MSCI All-Country World Index, Barclays Long Credit Index), actuarial assumptions for return on plan investments and specific performance guidelines given to individual investment managers.

The long-term targeted asset allocation ranges for the pension benefit plans’ asset categories are as follows:

Asset Category	Allocation Range
Global equities	5% - 35%
Fixed income securities	50% - 100%
Alternatives, which may include equities and fixed income securities	0% - 15%
Cash and cash equivalents	0% - 5%

The asset allocations of the pension benefit plans’ assets at December 31 by asset category are as follows:

	Pension Plans
Asset Category		2021		2020
Global equities		20	%	32	%
Fixed income securities		73		53
Other (includes cash and cash equivalents and alternatives)		7		15
Total		100	%	100	%

The pension assets are stated at fair value. Refer to Note 1: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for a discussion of the framework used to measure fair value.

Assets within our defined benefit pension plans were invested as follows:

(in thousands)	December 31, 2021
Asset Category	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Cash and cash equivalents	$	4,269	$	—	$	4,269
Global equity securities1		66,517		—		66,517
Fixed income securities2		182,506		59,405		241,911
Alternatives3		17,099		—		17,099
Total	$	270,391	$	59,405	$	329,796

(in thousands)	December 31, 2020
Asset Category	Level 1		Level 2		Total
Cash and cash equivalents	$	5,571	$	—	$	5,571
Global equity securities1		104,775		—		104,775
Fixed income securities2		143,415		29,494		172,909
Alternatives3		42,535		—		42,535
Total	$	296,296	$	29,494	$	325,790

1	Level 1 assets are international and domestic managed investments with quoted prices on major security markets and also include investments in registered investment company funds for which market quotations are generally readily available on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded. The global equity securities track the MSCI All-Country World Index.
2	Level 1 assets are investments in a diversified portfolio of fixed income instruments of varying maturities representing corporates, U.S. treasuries, municipals and futures. Level 2 assets are thinly traded investments in a diversified portfolio of fixed income instruments of varying maturities representing mostly corporates securities. Both Level 1 & Level 2 investments track the Bloomberg Barclay’s Long-term Credit Index.
3	Level 1 assets are long-term investment funds which are invested in tangible assets and real asset companies such as, infrastructure, natural resources and timber.

There were no Level 3 investments held by the defined benefit pension plans at December 31, 2021 or 2020.

PLAN ACTIVITY

Pre-tax components of net periodic cost (benefit) recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Operations were as follows for the years ended December 31:

	Pension Plans									OPEB
(in thousands)		2021			2020			2019			2021			2020			2019
Service cost	$	8,182		$	8,932		$	7,767		$	670		$	508		$	371
Interest cost		10,533			12,263			18,465			1,267			1,502			1,588
Expected return on plan assets		(14,100	)		(15,474	)		(22,190	)		—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		86			111			211			(1,192	)		(1,274	)		(8,844	)
Amortization of actuarial loss		14,455			15,426			13,497			2,178			1,672			1,012
Net periodic cost (benefit) before pension settlement charge		19,156			21,258			17,750			2,923			2,408			(5,873	)
Pension settlement charge		—			42,988			—			—			—			—
Net periodic cost (benefit)	$	19,156		$	64,246		$	17,750		$	2,923		$	2,408		$	(5,873	)

The amounts recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit costs at December 31, net of tax, consist of:

	Pension Plans				OPEB
(in thousands)	2021		2020			2021			2020
Net loss	$	49,476	$	78,859	$	2,075		$	15,947
Prior service cost (credit)		103		166		(285	)		(1,164	)
Total amount unrecognized	$	49,579	$	79,025	$	1,790		$	14,783

EXPECTED FUNDING AND BENEFIT PAYMENTS

We are not required to contribute to our qualified pension plans in 2022. Our non-qualified pension plan and other postretirement employee benefit plans are unfunded and benefit payments are paid from our general assets. We estimate that we will make non-qualified pension plan payments of $2.5 million and other postretirement employee benefit payments of $2.5 million in 2022, which are included below.

Estimated future benefit payments, which reflect expected future service are as follows for the years indicated:

(in thousands)	Pension Plans		OPEB
2022	$	22,574	$	2,532
2023	$	22,944	$	2,414
2024	$	22,945	$	2,192
2025	$	22,730	$	2,017
2026	$	22,554	$	1,926
2027–2031	$	109,673	$	8,447

ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS

The weighted average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation for our pension and OPEB plans as of December 31 were:

	Pension Plans				OPEB
		2021		2020		2021		2020
Discount rate	3.00%		2.65%			2.95	%	2.60	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.00 - 4.00%		3.00 - 4.00%			—		—

The weighted average assumptions used for all pension and OPEB plans to determine the net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31 were:

	Pension Plans						OPEB
		2021		2020		2019		2021		2020		2019
Discount rate	2.65%		3.40%		4.40%			2.60	%	3.40	%	4.40	%
Expected return on plan assets	5.25%		5.75%		6.25%			—		—		—
Rate of compensation increase	3.00 - 4.00%		3.00 - 4.00%		3.00 - 4.00%			—		—		—

The discount rate used in the determination of pension and other postretirement employee benefit obligations was calculated using hypothetical bond portfolios to match the expected benefit payments under each of our pension plans and other postretirement employee benefit obligations based on bonds available at each year end with a rating of "AA" or better. The portfolios were well-diversified over corporate industrial, corporate financial, municipal, federal and foreign government issuers.

Determining our expected return on plan assets requires a high degree of judgment. The expected return on plan assets assumption is based upon an analysis of historical long-term returns for various investment categories, as measured by appropriate indices. These indices are weighted based upon the extent to which plan assets are invested in the particular categories in arriving at our determination of a composite expected return.

At December 31, 2021, the assumed health care cost trend rate used to calculate other postretirement employee benefit obligations was between 6.06% and 6.58% depending on the individual plan participant makeup and graded ratably to an assumption of 4.00% in 2046. The actual rates of health care cost increases may vary significantly from the assumption used because of unanticipated changes in health care costs.