Employee Retirement Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Employee Retirement Benefit Plans	15. Employee Retirement Benefit Plans *(a) Overview* Alleghany and certain of its subsidiaries provide a variety of retirement benefits. Alleghany provides supplemental retirement benefits through deferred compensation programs and profit sharing plans for certain of its parent company level officers and employees. In addition, Alleghany’s subsidiaries sponsor both qualified, defined contribution retirement plans for substantially all employees, including executives, and non-qualified plans only for executives, some of which provide for voluntary salary reduction contributions by employees and matching contributions by each respective subsidiary, subject to specified limitations. Alleghany has endorsement split-dollar life insurance policies for its parent company level officers that are effective during employment, as well as retirement. Premiums are paid by Alleghany, and death benefits are split between Alleghany and the beneficiaries of the officers. Death benefits for current employees that inure to the beneficiaries are generally equal to four times the annual salary at the time of an officer’s death. After retirement, death benefits that inure to the beneficiaries are generally equal to the annual salary of the officer as of the date of retirement. In addition, Alleghany has defined benefit pension and, prior to September 30, 2013, retiree health plans for parent company level employees, and TransRe has defined benefit pensions plans for certain of its employees, as further described below. These employee retirement plans are not material to Alleghany’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows for the three years ended December 31, 2015. *(b) Parent-Level* Alleghany has an unfunded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level executives and a funded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level employees. Prior to September 30, 2013, Alleghany also had two unfunded retiree health plans, one for parent company level executives and one for parent company level employees. On July 16, 2013, the Alleghany Board of Directors decided to: (i) freeze the benefits associated with the unfunded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level executives, effective December 31, 2013; and (ii) terminate both retiree health plans, effective September 30, 2013. The funded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level employees is unaffected. As a result of these decisions, Alleghany recorded a pre-tax $8.8 million reduction to corporate administration expense in 2013. The projected benefit obligations of the defined benefit pension plans as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $28.2 million and $28.0 million, respectively, and the related fair value of plan assets was $2.5 million and $2.5 million, respectively. *(c) TransRe* TransRe has an unfunded, noncontributory defined benefit plan and a funded noncontributory defined benefit plan for certain of its employees in the U.S. Benefits under TransRe’s defined benefit plans were frozen as of December 31, 2009. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the projected benefit obligation was $63.0 million and $66.2 million, respectively, and the related fair value of plan assets was $46.7 million and $49.2 million, respectively.

15. Employee Retirement Benefit Plans

(a) Overview

Alleghany and certain of its subsidiaries provide a variety of retirement benefits. Alleghany provides supplemental retirement benefits through deferred compensation programs and profit sharing plans for certain of its parent company level officers and employees. In addition, Alleghany’s subsidiaries sponsor both qualified, defined contribution retirement plans for substantially all employees, including executives, and non-qualified plans only for executives, some of which provide for voluntary salary reduction contributions by employees and matching contributions by each respective subsidiary, subject to specified limitations.

Alleghany has endorsement split-dollar life insurance policies for its parent company level officers that are effective during employment, as well as retirement. Premiums are paid by Alleghany, and death benefits are split between Alleghany and the beneficiaries of the officers. Death benefits for current employees that inure to the beneficiaries are generally equal to four times the annual salary at the time of an officer’s death. After retirement, death benefits that inure to the beneficiaries are generally equal to the annual salary of the officer as of the date of retirement.

In addition, Alleghany has defined benefit pension and, prior to September 30, 2013, retiree health plans for parent company level employees, and TransRe has defined benefit pensions plans for certain of its employees, as further described below.

These employee retirement plans are not material to Alleghany’s results of operations, financial condition or cash flows for the three years ended December 31, 2015.

(b) Parent-Level

Alleghany has an unfunded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level executives and a funded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level employees. Prior to September 30, 2013, Alleghany also had two unfunded retiree health plans, one for parent company level executives and one for parent company level employees. On July 16, 2013, the Alleghany Board of Directors decided to: (i) freeze the benefits associated with the unfunded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level executives, effective December 31, 2013; and (ii) terminate both retiree health plans, effective September 30, 2013. The funded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plan for parent company level employees is unaffected. As a result of these decisions, Alleghany recorded a pre-tax $8.8 million reduction to corporate administration expense in 2013.

The projected benefit obligations of the defined benefit pension plans as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 was $28.2 million and $28.0 million, respectively, and the related fair value of plan assets was $2.5 million and $2.5 million, respectively.

(c) TransRe

TransRe has an unfunded, noncontributory defined benefit plan and a funded noncontributory defined benefit plan for certain of its employees in the U.S. Benefits under TransRe’s defined benefit plans were frozen as of December 31, 2009. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the projected benefit obligation was $63.0 million and $66.2 million, respectively, and the related fair value of plan assets was $46.7 million and $49.2 million, respectively.