XML 51 R27.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.24.0.1
Pension
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Pension
Note 18 – Pension
A.About Our Plans
The Company sponsors U.S. and non-U.S. defined benefit pension plans; future benefit accruals for the domestic plans are frozen.
Accounting policy. The Company measures the assets and liabilities of its domestic pension plans as of December 31. Benefit obligations are measured at the present value of estimated future payments based on actuarial assumptions. The Company uses the corridor method to account for changes in the benefit obligation when actual results differ from those assumed, or when assumptions change. These changes are called net unrecognized actuarial gains (losses). Under the corridor method, net unrecognized actuarial gains (losses) are initially recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss. When the unrecognized gain (loss) exceeds 10% of the
benefit obligation, that excess is amortized to expense over the expected remaining lives of plan participants. The net plan expense is reported in Interest expense and other in the Consolidated Statements of Income.
For balance sheet purposes, we measure plan assets at fair value. When the actual return differs from the expected return, those differences are reflected in the net unrealized actuarial gain (loss) discussed above. However, to measure pension benefit costs, we use a market-related asset valuation that differs from the actual fair value for domestic pension plan assets invested in non-fixed income investments. The market-related value recognizes the difference between actual and expected long-term returns in the portfolio over five years, a method that reduces the short-term impact of market fluctuations on pension costs. The market-related asset value was approximately $4.0 billion, compared with a fair value of approximately $4.1 billion at December 31, 2023.

B.Funded Status and Amounts Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
The following table summarizes the projected benefit obligations and assets related to our U.S. and non-U.S. pension plans:
For the Years Ended December 31,
(In millions)20232022
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation, January 1$3,948 $5,223 
Service cost1 
Interest cost204 140 
Actuarial losses (gains), net (1)
93 (1,094)
Benefits paid from plan assets(294)(296)
Other
(18)(27)
Benefit obligation, December 313,934 3,948 
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets, January 14,186 4,846 
Actual return on plan assets246 (366)
Benefits paid(294)(296)
Contributions 
Fair value of plan assets, December 314,138 4,186 
Funded status$204 $238 
Amounts presented in Consolidated Balance Sheets
Other assets
$204 $238 
(1) 2023 losses reflect a decrease in the discount rate while 2022 gains reflect an increase in the discount rate.

We fund our qualified pension plans at least at the minimum amount required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The Company made immaterial contributions to the qualified pension plans in 2023. For 2024, contributions to the qualified pension plans are expected to be immaterial. Future years' contributions will ultimately be based on a wide range of factors including but not limited to asset returns, discount rates and funding targets. Non-qualified pension plans are generally funded on a pay-as-you-go basis as there are no plan assets for these plans.
Benefit payments. The following benefit payments are expected to be paid in:
(In millions)
2024$319 
2025$316 
2026$317 
2027$314 
2028$311 
2029 - 2033$1,484 

Amounts reflected in the pension assets/(liabilities) shown above that have not yet been reported in Net income and, therefore, have been included in Accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of the following:
(In millions)December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
Unrecognized net (losses)
$(1,207)$(1,208)
Unrecognized prior service cost(4)(5)
Postretirement benefits liability adjustment$(1,211)$(1,213)
C.Cost of Our Plans
Net pension cost was as follows:
For the Years Ended December 31,
(In millions)202320222021
Service cost$1 $$
Interest cost204 140 132 
Expected long-term return on plan assets(204)(272)(269)
Amortization of:
Prior actuarial losses, net52 89 78 
Settlement loss — 
Net (benefit) cost$53 $(41)$(53)
D.Assumptions Used for Pension
For the Years Ended December 31,
 20232022
Discount rate:
Pension benefit obligation5.10%5.43%
Pension benefit cost5.43%2.82%
Expected long-term return on plan assets:
Pension benefit cost6.50%6.75%
Mortality table for pension obligationsWhite Collar mortality table with MP 2021 projection scaleWhite Collar mortality table with MP 2021 projection scale
The Company develops discount rates by applying actual annualized yields for high-quality bonds by duration to the expected pension plan liability cash flows. The bond yields represent a diverse mix of actively traded high quality fixed income securities that have an above average return at each duration as management believes this approach is representative of the yield achieved through plan asset investment strategy.
The expected long-term return on plan assets was developed considering historical long-term actual returns, expected long-term market conditions, plan asset mix and management's plan asset investment strategy.
E.Pension Plan Assets
As of December 31, 2023, pension assets included $4.0 billion invested in the separate accounts of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of the Company, and an additional $0.1 billion invested in funds of unaffiliated investment managers.
The fair values of pension assets by category are as follows:
(In millions)December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
Debt securities:
Federal government and agency$12 $11 
Corporate2,780 2,349 
Asset-backed121 109 
Fund investments278 478 
Total debt securities3,191 2,947 
Equity securities:
Domestic27 89 
International, including funds and pooled separate accounts (1)
6 35 
Total equity securities33 124 
Securities partnerships419 452 
Real estate funds, including pooled separate accounts (1)
270 315 
Commercial mortgage loans46 63 
Guaranteed deposit account contract48 50 
Cash equivalents and other current assets, net131 235 
Total pension assets at fair value$4,138 $4,186 
(1) A pooled separate account has several participating benefit plans and each owns a share of the total pool of investments.
The Company's current target investment allocation percentages are 90% fixed income and 10% in other investments, including private equity (securities partnerships), public equity securities, and real estate, and are developed by management as guidelines, although the fair values of each asset category are expected to vary as a result of changes in market conditions. The Company will evaluate further allocation changes to equity securities, other investments and fixed income securities as funding levels change.

See Note 13 for further details regarding how fair value is determined, including the level within the fair value hierarchy and the procedures we use to validate fair value measurements. The Company classifies substantially all debt securities in Level 2 for pension plan assets. These assets are valued using recent trades of similar securities or are fund investments priced using their daily net asset value that is the exit price. All domestic equity securities and international equity funds within pension assets are classified as Level 3.
Securities partnerships, real estate and hedge funds are valued using net asset value as a practical expedient and are excluded from the fair value hierarchy. See Note 13 for additional disclosures related to these assets invested in the separate accounts of the Company's subsidiary. Certain securities as described in Note 13, as well as commercial mortgage loans and guaranteed deposit account contracts, are classified in Level 3 because unobservable inputs used in their valuation are significant.
F.401(k) Plan
The Company sponsors a 401(k) plan. All employees are immediately eligible for the plan at hire and the Company matches a portion of employees' contributions to the plan. Participants in the plan may invest in various funds that invest in the Company's common stock, several diversified stock funds, a bond fund or stable value funds. The Company common stock fund under the plan constitutes an "employee stock ownership plan" as defined in the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends from the Company common stock fund are reinvested in a participant's stock fund account unless the participant elects to receive the dividends in cash.
The Company may elect to increase its matching contributions if the Company's annual performance meets certain targets. The Company's annual expense for the plan was as follows:
For the Years Ended December 31,
(In millions)202320222021
Expense$296 $274 $268