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Postretirement Benefits
9 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Postretirement Benefits
Postretirement Benefits
Defined Benefit Plans
We provide postretirement benefits to a substantial portion of our employees and retirees. Costs associated with postretirement benefits include pension and postretirement health care expenses for employees, retirees, surviving spouses and dependents.
Generally, the pension plans are non-contributory. Our policy is to fund the pension plans in accordance with applicable U.S. and Canadian government regulations and to make additional contributions from time to time. For the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, we contributed $21 million and $67 million, respectively, and for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2016, $20 million and $60 million, respectively, to our pension plans to meet regulatory funding requirements. We expect to contribute approximately $46 million to our pension plans during the remainder of 2017.
We primarily fund OPEB obligations, such as retiree medical, in accordance with the 1993 Settlement Agreement (the "1993 Settlement Agreement"), which requires us to fund a portion of the plans' annual service cost to a retiree benefit trust (the "Base Trust"). The 1993 Settlement Agreement resolved a class action lawsuit originally filed in 1992 regarding the restructuring of our then applicable retiree health care and life insurance benefits. Contributions for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, and 2016, as well as anticipated contributions for the remainder of 2017, are not material.
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Expense
Net periodic benefit expense included in our Consolidated Statements of Operations, and other amounts recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Deficit, for the periods ended July 31 is comprised of the following:
 
Three Months Ended July 31,
 
Nine Months Ended July 31,
 
Pension Benefits
 
Health and Life
Insurance Benefits
 
Pension Benefits
 
Health and Life
Insurance Benefits
(in millions)
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
 
2017
 
2016
Service cost for benefits earned during the period
$
2

 
$
2

 
$
1

 
$
1

 
$
6

 
$
7

 
$
4

 
$
4

Interest on obligation
27

 
29

 
11

 
14

 
80

 
88

 
35

 
44

Amortization of cumulative loss
30

 
26

 
6

 
8

 
89

 
78

 
17

 
24

Amortization of prior service benefit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
(1
)
Settlements
23

 

 

 

 
23

 

 

 

Contractual termination benefits
9

 
1

 
4

 
4

 
10

 
3

 
4

 
4

Curtailments and other

 

 
(58
)
 

 

 

 
(58
)
 

Premiums on pension insurance
4

 
4

 

 

 
12

 
12

 

 

Expected return on assets
(40
)
 
(41
)
 
(5
)
 
(6
)
 
(119
)
 
(125
)
 
(17
)
 
(19
)
Net periodic benefit expense
$
55

 
$
21

 
$
(41
)
 
$
21

 
$
101

 
$
63

 
$
(15
)
 
$
56


In 2016, we changed the approach utilized to estimate the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost for our major defined benefit postretirement plans. Historically, we estimated the service cost and interest cost components using a single weighted average discount rate derived from the yield curve used to measure the benefit obligation at the beginning of the period. In 2016, we began using a spot rate approach for the estimation of service and interest cost for our major plans by applying specific spot rates along the yield curve to the relevant projected cash flows to provide a better estimate of service and interest costs.
In April 2016, we filed a qualified partial wind-up report for approval by FSCO related to the 2011 closure of our Chatham, Ontario plant. FSCO provided formal approval in January 2017. As a result of an ongoing administration review ordered in conjunction with the partial wind-up, we recognized $1 million of contractual termination charges in the first quarter of 2017. During the third quarter of 2017, we finalized the Chatham closure agreement. This resulted in the release of $66 million in other postemployment benefit ("OPEB") liabilities. In addition, a pension settlement accounting charge of $23 million was recorded as a result of lump-sum payments made to certain pension plan participants. These charges and benefits were recorded in our Truck segment within Restructuring charges in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 2, Restructurings and Impairments for further discussion. As a result of the pension and OPEB plan remeasurements in connection with the finalization of the Chatham closure agreement, net actuarial gains of $21 million were recognized as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss in the third quarter of 2017.

In the third quarter of 2017, we committed to a plan to cease engine production at our Melrose Park Facility in the second quarter of fiscal year 2018. As a result, in the third quarter of 2017, we recognized $9 million of pension and $4 million of OPEB contractual termination benefits charges and $10 million of OPEB curtailment charges. These charges were recorded in our Truck segment within Restructuring charges in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 2, Restructurings and Impairments for further discussion. A pension curtailment gain of $2 million and net actuarial gains of $91 million resulting from pension and OPEB remeasurements in connection with our Melrose Park Facility announcement were recognized as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss in the third quarter of 2017.
Also, in the third quarter of 2017, in accordance with the intraperiod tax allocation rules, we recorded a net benefit of $35 million related to domestic continuing operations in Income tax expense in our Consolidated Statements of Operations, and an offsetting reduction in Other comprehensive income due to the remeasurement of certain pension and OPEB plans.
Defined Contribution Plans and Other Contractual Arrangements
Our defined contribution plans cover a substantial portion of domestic salaried employees and certain domestic represented employees. The defined contribution plans contain a 401(k) feature and provide most participants with a matching contribution from the Company. We deposit the matching contribution annually. Many participants covered by the plans receive annual Company contributions to their retirement accounts based on an age-weighted percentage of the participant's eligible compensation for the calendar year. Defined contribution expense pursuant to these plans was $7 million and $22 million in the three and nine months ended July 31, 2017, and 2016, respectively.
In accordance with the 1993 Settlement Agreement, an independent Retiree Supplemental Benefit Trust (the "Supplemental Trust") was established. The Supplemental Trust, and the benefits it provides to certain retirees pursuant to a certain Retiree Supplemental Benefit Program under the 1993 Settlement Agreement ("Supplemental Benefit Program"), is not part of our consolidated financial statements.
Our contingent profit sharing obligations under a certain Supplemental Benefit Trust Profit Sharing Plan ("Supplemental Benefit Trust Profit Sharing Plan") will continue until certain funding targets defined by the 1993 Settlement Agreement are met. We have recorded no profit sharing accruals based on the operating performance of the entities that are included in the determination of qualifying profits. For more information on pending arbitration regarding the Supplemental Benefit Trust Profit Sharing Plan, see Note 10, Commitments and Contingencies.