Postretirement benefits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Postretirement benefits

Postretirement benefits

Chubb provides postretirement benefits to eligible employees and their dependents through various defined contribution plans sponsored by Chubb. In addition, for certain employees, Chubb sponsors other postretirement benefit plans, and prior to 2020, Chubb sponsored defined benefit pension plans.

Defined contribution plans (including 401(k))

Under these plans, employees' contributions may be supplemented by Chubb matching contributions based on the level of employee contribution. These contributions are invested at the election of each employee in one or more of several investment portfolios offered by a third-party investment advisor. Expenses for these plans totaled $214 million, $211 million, and $171 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

Defined benefit pension plans

We maintain non-contributory defined benefit pension plans that cover certain employees located in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and various other statutorily required countries. We account for pension benefits using the accrual method. Benefits under these plans are based on employees' years of service and compensation during final years of service. All underlying plans are subject to periodic actuarial valuations by qualified actuarial firms using actuarial models to calculate the expense and liability for each plan. We use December 31 as the measurement date for our defined benefit pension plans.

Under the Chubb Corp plans, prior to 2001, benefits were generally based on an employee’s years of service and average compensation during the last five years of employment. Effective January 1, 2001, the formula for providing pension benefits was changed from the final average pay formula to a cash balance formula. Under the cash balance formula, a notional account is established for each employee, which is credited semi-annually with an amount equal to a percentage of eligible compensation based on age and years of service plus interest based on the account balance. Chubb Corp employees hired prior to 2001 will generally be eligible to receive vested benefits based on the higher of the final average pay or cash balance formulas.

Other postretirement benefit plans

Our assumption of Chubb Corp's other postretirement benefit plans, principally healthcare and life insurance, covers retired employees, their beneficiaries, and covered dependents. Healthcare coverage is contributory. Retiree contributions vary based upon the retiree’s age, type of coverage, and years of service requirements. Life insurance coverage is non-contributory. Chubb funds a portion of the healthcare benefits obligation where such funding can be accomplished on a tax-effective basis. Benefits are paid as covered expenses are incurred. We use December 31 as the measurement date for our postretirement benefit plans.

Amendments to U.S. qualified and excess pension plans and U.S. retiree healthcare plan

In 2016, we harmonized and amended several of our U.S. retirement programs to create a unified retirement savings program. In 2020, we transitioned from a traditional defined benefit pension program that had been in effect for certain employees to a defined contribution program. Additionally, after 2025, we plan to eliminate a subsidized U.S. retiree healthcare and life insurance plan that is currently in place for certain employees. Both amendments required a remeasurement of the plan assets and benefit obligations with updated assumptions, including discount rates and the expected return on assets. The amendment of the retiree healthcare plan resulted in a reduction in the obligation of $383 million, of which $410 million was amortized as a reduction to expense through June 2021 as it relates to benefits already accrued. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, $26 million, $79 million, and $79 million, respectively, were amortized as a reduction to expense.

Obligations and funded status

The funded status of the pension and other postretirement benefit plans as well as the amounts recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets and Accumulated other comprehensive income at December 31, 2021 and 2020 was as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans								Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
	2021				2020				2021		2020
	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	3,967	$	1,199	$	3,569	$	1,042	$	86	$	103
Service cost	—		4		—		4		1		1
Interest cost	70		19		99		22		1		2
Actuarial loss (gain)	(161)		(47)		441		135		(10)		1
Benefits paid	(133)		(33)		(127)		(31)		(15)		(20)
Curtailments	—		—		—		(2)		—		—
Settlements	(11)		—		(15)		—		—		—
Foreign currency revaluation and other	—		(20)		—		29		(1)		(1)
Benefit obligation, end of year	$	3,732	$	1,122	$	3,967	$	1,199	$	62	$	86
Plan assets at fair value, beginning of year	$	3,739	$	1,284	$	3,301	$	1,141	$	120	$	152
Actual return on plan assets	543		83		563		126		(1)		6
Employer contributions	13		8		17		19		15		1
Benefits paid	(133)		(33)		(127)		(31)		(15)		(39)
Settlements	(11)		—		(15)		—		—		—
Foreign currency revaluation and other	—		(24)		—		29		—		—
Plan assets at fair value, end of year	$	4,151	$	1,318	$	3,739	$	1,284	$	119	$	120
Funded status at end of year	$	419	$	196	$	(228)	$	85	$	57	$	34
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated balance sheets:
Assets	$	492	$	214	$	—	$	85	$	77	$	34
Liabilities	(73)		(18)		(228)		—		(20)		—
Total	$	419	$	196	$	(228)	$	85	$	57	$	34
Amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income, pre-tax, not yet recognized in net periodic cost (benefit):
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	(375)	$	73	$	78	$	163	$	(10)	$	(5)
Prior service cost (benefit)	—		9		—		9		(5)		(31)
Total	$	(375)	$	82	$	78	$	172	$	(15)	$	(36)

For the U.S. pension plans, the $161 million actuarial gain and $441 million actuarial loss experienced in 2021 and 2020, respectively, were principally driven by the change in the discount rates.

The accumulated benefit obligation for the pension benefit plans was $4.8 billion and $5.1 billion at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The accumulated benefit obligation is the present value of pension benefits earned as of the measurement date based on employee service and compensation prior to that date. It differs from the pension (projected) benefit obligation in the table above in that the accumulated benefit obligation includes no assumptions regarding future compensation levels.

Chubb’s funding policy is to contribute amounts that meet regulatory requirements plus additional amounts determined based on actuarial valuations, market conditions and other factors. All benefit plans satisfy minimum funding requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). 

The following table provides information on pension plans where the benefit obligation is in excess of plan assets at December 31, 2021 and 2020:

	2021				2020
	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Plans with projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:
Projected benefit obligation	$	73	$	418	$	3,967	$	629
Fair value of plan assets	—		400		3,739		568
Net funded status	$	(73)	$	(18)	$	(228)	$	(61)
Plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	73	$	380	$	3,967	$	593
Fair value of plan assets	$	—	$	367	$	3,739	$	565

For other postretirement benefit plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets, the accumulated benefit obligation was $20 million and $23 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These plans have no plan assets.

At December 31, 2021, we estimate that we will contribute $17 million to the pension plans and $1 million to the other postretirement benefits plan in 2022. The estimate is subject to change due to contribution decisions that are affected by various factors including our liquidity, market performance and management discretion.

At December 31, 2021, our estimated expected future benefit payments are as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans				Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
For the years ending December 31	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
2022	$	168	$	30	$	19
2023	173		30		15
2024	177		30		11
2025	182		32		6
2026	185		33		1
2027-2031	964		193		5

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the projected benefit obligation were as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans
	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
December 31, 2021
Discount rate	2.75	%	2.23	%	2.06	%
Rate of compensation increase (1)	N/A		3.63	%	N/A
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%
December 31, 2020
Discount rate	2.32	%	1.80	%	1.36	%
Rate of compensation increase (1)	N/A		3.24	%	N/A
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%

(1) For the U.S. Pension Plans, benefit accruals were frozen as of December 31, 2019.

The projected benefit cash flows were discounted using the corresponding spot rates derived from a yield curve, which resulted in a single discount rate that would produce the same liability at the respective measurement dates. The same process was applied to service cost cash flows to determine the discount rate associated with the service cost. In general, the discount rates for the non-U.S. plans were developed using a similar methodology by using country-specific yield curves.

The components of net pension and other postretirement benefit costs (benefits) reflected in Net income and other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income were as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans												Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
Year Ended December 31	2021		2020		2019		2021		2020		2019		2021		2020		2019
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Costs reflected in Net income, pre-tax:
Service cost	$	—	$	—	$	49	$	4	$	4	$	11	$	1	$	1	$	—
Non-service cost (benefit):
Interest cost	70		99		118		19		22		27		1		2		4
Expected return on plan assets	(255)		(224)		(189)		(44)		(41)		(45)		(1)		(5)		(4)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	—		—		—		4		2		3		—		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	—		—		—		—		—		—		(26)		(83)		(84)
Curtailments	—		—		—		—		(1)		(1)		—		—		—
Settlements	3		3		2		—		—		1		—		—		—
Total non-service cost (benefit)	(182)		(122)		(69)		(21)		(18)		(15)		(26)		(86)		(84)
Net periodic benefit cost (benefit)	$	(182)	$	(122)	$	(20)	$	(17)	$	(14)	$	(4)	$	(25)	$	(85)	$	(84)
Changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	(450)	$	102	$	(4)	$	(86)	$	56	$	6	$	(5)	$	(2)	$	(2)
Prior service cost (benefit)	—		—		—		—		—		1		—		—		—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	—		—		—		(4)		(2)		(3)		—		—		—
Amortization of prior service cost	—		—		—		—		(1)		—		26		83		84
Curtailments	—		—		—		—		(1)		(3)		—		—		—
Settlements	(3)		(3)		(2)		—		—		(1)		—		—		—
Total decrease (increase) in other comprehensive income, pre-tax	$	(453)	$	99	$	(6)	$	(90)	$	52	$	—	$	21	$	81	$	82

The line items in which the service cost and non-service cost (benefit) components of net periodic benefit cost (benefit) are included in the Consolidated statements of operations were as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans						Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31	2021		2020		2019		2021		2020		2019
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Service cost:
Losses and loss expenses	$	—	$	—	$	6	$	—	$	—	$	—
Administrative expenses	4		4		54		1		1		—
Total service cost	4		4		60		1		1		—
Non-service cost (benefit):
Losses and loss expenses	(18)		(12)		(7)		(3)		(9)		(8)
Administrative expenses	(185)		(128)		(77)		(23)		(77)		(76)
Total non-service cost (benefit)	(203)		(140)		(84)		(26)		(86)		(84)
Net periodic benefit cost (benefit)	$	(199)	$	(136)	$	(24)	$	(25)	$	(85)	$	(84)

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs were as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans
	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31
2021
Discount rate in effect for determining service cost	N/A		5.58	%	2.53	%
Discount rate in effect for determining interest cost	1.81	%	1.57	%	1.23	%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A		3.24	%	N/A
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.00	%	3.37	%	1.00	%
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%	N/A		N/A
2020
Discount rate in effect for determining service cost	N/A		6.04	%	3.00	%
Discount rate in effect for determining interest cost	2.85	%	2.24	%	2.64	%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A		3.26	%	N/A
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.00	%	3.83	%	3.00	%
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%	N/A		N/A
2019
Discount rate in effect for determining service cost	4.23	%	4.48	%	4.04	%
Discount rate in effect for determining interest cost	3.94	%	2.88	%	3.69	%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00	%	3.37	%	N/A
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.00	%	4.40	%	3.00	%
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%	N/A		N/A

The weighted-average healthcare cost trend rate assumptions used to measure the expected cost of healthcare benefits were as follows:

	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	2021		2020		2019		2021		2020		2019
Healthcare cost trend rate	5.59	%	5.96	%	6.32	%	5.26	%	5.04	%	5.24	%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)	4.50	%	4.50	%	4.50	%	4.00	%	4.00	%	4.00	%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	2038		2038		2038		2040		2040		2040

Plan Assets

The long term objective of the pension plan is to provide sufficient funding to cover expected benefit obligations, while assuming a prudent level of portfolio risk. The assets of the pension plan are invested, either directly or through pooled funds, in a diversified portfolio of predominately equity securities and fixed maturities. We seek to obtain a rate of return that over time equals or exceeds the returns of the broad markets in which the plan assets are invested. The target allocation of U.S. plan assets is 55 percent to 65 percent invested in equity securities (including certain other investments measured using NAV), with the remainder primarily invested in fixed maturities. The target allocation of non-U.S. plans varies by country, but the plan assets are principally invested in fixed maturities. We rebalance our pension assets to the target allocation as market conditions permit. We determined the expected long term rate of return assumption for each asset class based on an analysis of the historical returns and the expectations for future returns. The expected long term rate of return for the portfolio is a weighted aggregation of the expected returns for each asset class.

In order to minimize risk, the Plan maintains a listing of permissible and prohibited investments. In addition, the Plan has certain concentration limits and investment quality requirements imposed on permissible investments options. Investment risk is measured and monitored on an ongoing basis.

The following tables present the fair values of the pension plan assets, by valuation hierarchy. For additional information on how we classify these assets within the valuation hierarchy, refer to Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

December 31, 2021	Pension Benefit Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	33	$	—	$	—	$	33
U.S. Treasury / Agency	380		92		—		472
Non-U.S. and corporate bonds	—		923		—		923
Municipal	—		4		—		4
Equity securities	1,871		—		1		1,872
Investment derivative instruments	3		—		—		3
Total U.S. Plan assets (1)	$	2,287	$	1,019	$	1	$	3,307
Non-U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	5	$	—	$	—	$	5
Non-U.S. and corporate bonds	—		679		—		679
Equity securities	153		291		—		444
Total Non-U.S. Plan assets (1)	$	158	$	970	$	—	$	1,128

(1)Excluded from the table above are $542 million and $175 million of other investments related to the U.S. Plans and Non-U.S. Plans, respectively, limited partnerships of $175 million and $15 million in U.S. Plans and Non-U.S. Plans, respectively, measured using NAV as a practical expedient, and $127 million in cash and accrued income related to the U.S. Plans.

December 31, 2020	Pension Benefit Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	59	$	—	$	—	$	59
U.S. Treasury / Agency	250		186		—		436
Non-U.S. and corporate bonds	—		793		—		793
Municipal	—		2		—		2
Equity securities	1,818		—		—		1,818
Total U.S. Plan assets (1)	$	2,127	$	981	$	—	$	3,108
Non-U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	5	$	—	$	—	$	5
Non-U.S. and corporate bonds	—		609		—		609
Equity securities	127		388		—		515
Total Non-U.S. Plan assets (1)	$	132	$	997	$	—	$	1,129

(1)Excluded from the table above are $543 million and $147 million of other investments related to the U.S. Plans and Non-U.S. Plans, respectively, limited partnerships of $74 million and $8 million in U.S. Plans and Non-U.S. Plans, respectively, measured using NAV as a practical expedient, and $14 million in cash related to the U.S. Plans.

The other postretirement benefit plan had $119 million and $120 million of other investments measured using NAV as a practical expedient at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.