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Postretirement Benefits
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Postretirement Benefits Postretirement Benefits
Pension plans
Our pension plans consist of a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all employees and an unfunded supplemental employee retirement plan ("SERP") for certain members of executive and senior management. The pension plan provides benefits to covered individuals satisfying certain age and service requirements. The defined benefit pension plan and SERP each provide benefits through a final average earnings formula.

Although we are the sponsor of these postretirement plans and record the funded status of these plans, the Exchange and its subsidiaries reimburse us for approximately 58% of the annual benefit expense of these plans, which represents pension benefits for employees performing administrative services and an allocated share of costs for employees in departments that support the administrative functions. For our funded pension plan, amounts are settled in cash for the portion of pension costs allocated to the Exchange and its subsidiaries. For our unfunded SERP, we pay the obligations when due and amounts are settled in cash between entities when there is a payout.

Cost of pension plans
Pension plan cost includes the following components for the years ended December 31:
(in thousands)
202220212020
Service cost for benefits earned$50,242 $53,041 $43,492 
Interest cost on benefit obligation39,764 36,824 37,578 
Expected return on plan assets(54,557)(50,275)(49,411)
Prior service cost amortization1,443 1,428 1,343 
Net actuarial loss amortization7,320 16,106 12,125 
Pension plan cost (1)
$44,212 $57,124 $45,127 

(1)     Pension plan costs represent the total cost before reimbursements to Indemnity from the Exchange and its subsidiaries. The components of pension plan costs other than the service cost components are included in the line item "Other income (expense)" in the Statements of Operations after reimbursements from the Exchange and its subsidiaries.


Actuarial assumptions
The following table describes the assumptions at December 31 used to measure the year-end obligations and the net periodic benefit costs for the subsequent year:
2022202120202019
Employee pension plan:
Discount rate5.67 %3.16 %2.96 %3.59 %
Expected return on assets5.50 5.50 6.00 6.00 
Rate of compensation increase (1)
3.21 3.21 3.21 3.21 
SERP: 
Discount rate – pre-retirement/post-retirement (2)
5.46 3.11 2.86 
3.59/3.09
Rate of compensation increase5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 

(1)    The rate of compensation increase for the employee plan is age-graded.  An equivalent single compensation increase rate of 3.21% in 2022, 2021 and 2020 would produce similar results.
(2)    In 2020, the SERP discount rate methodology was revised to utilize SERP specific cash outflows independent of the employee pension plan discount rate, eliminating a difference between pre-retirement and post-retirement rates.


The economic assumptions that have the most impact on the postretirement benefits expense are the discount rate and the long-term rate of return on plan assets. The discount rate assumption used to determine the benefit obligation for all periods presented was based upon a yield curve developed from corporate bond yield information.

The pension plan's expected long-term rate of return represents the average rate of return to be earned on plan assets over the period the benefits included in the benefit obligation are to be paid. To determine the expected long-term rate of return assumption, we utilized models based upon historical analysis and forward-looking views of the financial markets based upon key factors such as historical returns for the asset class' applicable indices, the correlations of the asset classes under various market conditions and consensus views on future real economic growth and inflation. The expected future return for each asset
class is then combined by considering correlations between asset classes and the volatilities of each asset class to produce a reasonable range of asset return results within which our expected long-term rate of return assumption falls.

Funding policy/funded status
Our funding policy is generally to contribute an amount equal to the greater of the target normal cost for the plan year, or the amount necessary to fund the plan to 100%. Accordingly, we made a $25 million contribution during 2022. We expect to contribute an estimated $95 million in 2023.  Actual contributions may vary from the current estimate depending on changes in assumptions, regulatory requirements and funding decisions, or due to future plan changes. The following table sets forth the funded status of the pension plans and the amounts recognized in the Statements of Financial Position at December 31:
(in thousands)
20222021
Funded status at end of year$(53,948)$(132,411)
Pension liabilities – due within one year (1)
$(2,724)$(2,028)
Pension liabilities – due after one year(51,224)(130,383)
Net amount recognized$(53,948)$(132,411)

(1)    The current portion of pension liabilities is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.


Benefit obligations
Benefit obligations are described in the following tables. Accumulated and projected benefit obligations represent the obligations of a pension plan for past service as of the measurement date. 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 projected benefit obligation in that the accumulated benefit obligation includes no assumptions to reflect expected future compensation. The following table sets forth a reconciliation of beginning and ending balances of the projected benefit obligation, as well as the accumulated benefit obligation at December 31:
(in thousands)
20222021
Projected benefit obligation, beginning of year$1,272,654 $1,246,159 
Service cost for benefits earned50,242 53,041 
Interest cost on benefit obligation39,764 36,824 
Plan amendments1,620 4,059 
Actuarial gain(448,330)(38,400)
Benefits paid(32,136)(29,029)
Projected benefit obligation, end of year$883,814 $1,272,654 
Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year$762,180 $1,037,820 


Projected benefit obligations decreased $388.8 million at December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021 primarily due to the higher discount rate used to measure the future benefit obligations. The discount rate for the employee pension plan increased to 5.67% in 2022 from 3.16% in 2021.
Both the defined benefit pension plan and SERP had projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets at December 31:
(in thousands)
20222021
Projected benefit obligation$883,814 $1,272,654 
Plan assets829,866 1,140,243 


The SERP had accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets at December 31:
(in thousands)
20222021
Accumulated benefit obligation$21,577 $29,190 
Plan assets— — 


Pension assets
The following table sets forth a reconciliation of beginning and ending balances of the fair value of plan assets at December 31:
(in thousands)
20222021
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year$1,140,243 $1,081,061 
Actual return on plan assets(304,005)86,966 
Employer contributions25,764 1,245 
Benefits paid(32,136)(29,029)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year$829,866 $1,140,243 


Accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss
Net actuarial (gain) loss and prior service cost included in accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss that were not yet recognized as components of net benefit costs were as follows at December 31:
(in thousands)
20222021
Net actuarial (gain) loss$(69,564)$27,524 
Prior service cost12,378 12,201 
Net amount not yet recognized$(57,186)$39,725 


Other comprehensive income
Amounts recognized in other comprehensive income for pension plans were as follows for the years ended December 31:
(in thousands)
20222021
Net actuarial gain arising during the year$(89,768)$(75,091)
Amortization of net actuarial loss(7,320)(16,106)
Amortization of prior service cost(1,443)(1,428)
Plan amendments (1)
1,620 4,059 
Total recognized in other comprehensive income$(96,911)$(88,566)
(1)    Plan amendments relate to new SERP participants.
Asset allocation
The employee pension plan utilizes a return seeking and a liability asset matching allocation strategy.  It is based upon the understanding that 1) equity investments are expected to outperform debt investments over the long-term, 2) the potential volatility of short-term returns from equities is acceptable in exchange for the larger expected long-term returns, and 3) a portfolio structured across investment styles and markets (both domestic and foreign) reduces volatility.  As a result, the employee pension plan's investment portfolio utilizes a broadly diversified asset allocation across domestic and foreign equity and debt markets.  The investment portfolio is composed of commingled pools, an exchange traded fund, and a separate account that are dedicated exclusively to the management of employee benefit plan assets.

The target and actual asset allocations for the portfolio are as follows for the years ended December 31:
Target asset
allocation
Target asset
allocation
Actual asset
allocation
Actual asset
allocation
Asset allocation:2022202120222021
Equity securities:
U.S. equity securities27 %(1)27 %27 %27 %
Non-U.S. equity securities18 (2)18 19 18 
Total equity securities45 45 46 45 
Debt securities54 (3)54 53 54 
Other(4)
Total100 %100 %100 %100 %

(1)    U.S. equity securities 100% seek to achieve excess returns relative to the Russell 3000 Index.
(2)    Non-U.S. equity securities 11% are allocated to international small cap investments, while another 20% are allocated to international emerging market investments.  The remaining 69% of the Non-U.S. equity securities are allocated to investments seeking to achieve excess returns relative to an international market index.
(3)    Debt securities 58% are allocated to long U.S. Treasury Strips, 42% are allocated to U.S. corporate bonds with an emphasis on long duration bonds rated A or better.
(4)    Institutional money market fund.
The following tables present fair value measurements for the pension plan assets by major category and level of input as of:
December 31, 2022
(in thousands)Total Level 1
Fair Value
Level 2
Fair Value
Level 3
Fair Value
Net Asset
Value (NAV)
Equity securities:
U.S. equity securities$219,410 $204,838 $$$14,572 
Non-U.S. equity securities160,009 110,799 49,210 
Total equity securities379,419 315,637 63,782 
Debt securities439,004 439,004 
Other11,443 11,443 
Total$829,866 $327,080 $$$502,786 


December 31, 2021
(in thousands)TotalLevel 1
Fair Value
Level 2
Fair Value
Level 3
Fair Value
Net Asset
Value (NAV) (1)
Equity securities:
U.S. equity securities$305,440 $$$$305,440 
Non-U.S. equity securities200,949 139,688 61,261 
Total equity securities506,389 139,688 366,701 
Debt securities620,337 620,337 
Other13,517 13,517 
Total$1,140,243 $153,205 $$$987,038 
(1) Amounts were reclassified from Level 2 fair value to NAV to conform to current period presentation.

Estimates of fair values of the pension plan assets are obtained primarily from the trustee and custodian of our pension plan.  Our Level 1 category includes a money market mutual fund, an exchange traded fund, and a separate account for which the fair value is determined using an exchange traded price provided by the trustee and custodian.  Commingled pools are valued based on NAV per share or unit as a practical expedient as reported by the fund manager, multiplied by the number of shares or units held as of the measurement date. Accordingly, these NAV-based investments have been excluded from the fair value hierarchy. These investments have minimal redemption notice periods and are redeemable daily at the NAV, less transaction fees, without significant restrictions. There are no significant unfunded commitments related to these investments.

Estimated future benefit payments
The following table sets forth amounts of benefits expected to be paid over the next 10 years from our pension plans as of:

(in thousands)
Year ending
December 31,
Expected future
benefit payments
2023$33,827 
202436,175 
202539,205 
202641,731 
202744,904 
2028 - 2032276,456 
Employee savings planAll full-time and regular part-time employees are eligible to participate in a qualified 401(k) savings plan.  We match 100% of the participant contributions up to 3% of compensation and 50% of participant contributions over 3% and up to 5% of compensation.  Matching contributions paid to the plan were $16.7 million in 2022, $16.1 million in 2021, and $15.8 million in 2020.  The Exchange and its subsidiaries reimbursed us for approximately 59% of the matching contributions. Employees are permitted to invest the employer-matching contributions in our Class A common stock.  Employees, other than executive and senior officers, may sell the shares at any time without restriction, provided they are in compliance with applicable insider trading laws; sales by executive and senior officers are subject to additional pre-clearance restrictions imposed by our insider trading policies.  The plan acquires shares in the open market necessary to meet the obligations of the plan.  Plan participants held 0.1 million and 0.2 million shares of our Class A common stock at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.