Alternative Accounting Treatments for Pensions.

Abstract ABSTRACT: Actuarial cost methods designed for funding decisions about pensions are not necessarily designed for use in accounting reports about pensions. Various actuarial cost methods are explained and illustrated, with particular attention to varying treatment in these methods of "actuarial accrued liability," formerly called "prior service cost." Some actuarial cost methods generate actuarial accrued liability, while others do not. The FASB has required pension plans to use an actuarial cost method that in many cases reports a lower present value for the pension obligation in the early years of a pension plan than had been reported by the actuarial cost method formerly used by the employer. The degree of reduction in net present value of the pension obligation is reported for a sample of companies.