actuarial valuations & unfunded liabilities derek osborne, horizonow consultants atlantic...
TRANSCRIPT
Actuarial Valuations & Unfunded Liabilities
Derek Osborne, Horizonow Consultants
Atlantic Connection, Miami
July 11, 2012
Agenda1. The Actuary & Actuarial Valuations 2. Are all future obligations liabilities?3. Should all liabilities be pre-funded?4. ALM for public sector pensions5. Closing thoughts
Role of the Actuary Demographic/Financial
Demographic projections Cash flow projections Estimate present values, surpluses/deficits Recommend future contribution rates
Policy (only sometimes) Assess relevance of rules Assess level of key parameters Assess asset-liability matching (not investment
advice) Assess operational effectiveness & efficiencies Recommend reforms
Actuarial Valuations
Public Pension Plans Private Pension Plans
Open group Includes future new
entrants Projected cash flows
& projected assets Results seldom have
effect on financials but they help drive policy
Closed group Includes only those on
hand on valuation date
Present value of future benefits & current assets
Results affect balance sheet and P&L and also drive policy
Social Security Populations
General Populati
on
Labour Force
Employed
Population
Insured Persons (Contributo
rs & pensioners
)
Contents of Actuarial Report(CAA Standard of Practice)
Executive Summary Introduction Summary of
ProvisionsData
Documentation
Assumption Documentation
Methodology Documentation
Projection Results
Sensitivity Tests
Analysis of Design,
Investments, Operations
Recommendations
Attestation & Reliance Signature
Pension Terms – DB plans Accrued Benefit:
benefit earned to date using past service and current salary
Projected Accrued Benefit: benefit earned to date using past service and
projected salary Past Service or Accrued Liability:
Present value of accrued benefits (projected or unprojected)
Unfunded Liability: Excess of accrued liabilities over assets
Primary Assumptions
CountrySocial Security
System
Demographic Births Deaths Migration
Economic GDP growth Productivity growth Labour force
participation Inflation
Demographic New entrants Leaving and re-
entering Retirement rates
Financial Ceiling adjustments Pension adjustments Return on
investments Admin expense rates
Interest/Discount Rate Assumption Interest/Discount Rate
May be prescribed Should reflect the expected return on the current
pool of assets and investment policy
It is not the rate of return that the actuary says your investments should
or needs to earn!
Case #1 Janet is 65 and receives a pension of
$1,000 per month. What is the plan’s liability for Janet?
A. $12,000B. Present value of $1,000 per month for the
rest of her lifeC. Present value of $1,000 per month for
next 10 years
Case #2 John has been employed with ABC for 15
years and is now 50 years old. He has already earned a pension of 30% of his projected final average salary which has a present value of $90,000. If he quits now, however, he will be entitled to only $30,000. What is the plan’s liability for John?
A. $30,000B. $90,000C. Something in between
Case #3 The government just signed an agreement with
a large investor to build a resort on a remote part of the island. The government needs to build access roads over the next 10 years at an estimated cost of $1 billion. What amount should the government recognise as a liability today?
A. $0B. $1 billionC. Present value of estimated road costs (< $1
billion)
Case #4 Jane just gave birth to a baby boy, Jude. The
government promises 12 years of free schooling and health care from the cradle to the grave. Regarding its future obligations for Jude the government should:
A. Ignore them as these are not recognizable liabilities
B. Value theses promises but do not pre-fund them
C. Value these promise and reflect them in public finances
Why Estimate Future Obligations? It’s good to know what they are It’s required
Statutory Regulatory Accounting Standards
Allows for orderly pre-funding (if appropriate) Enhances policy advice & reforms Gives actuaries work to do
Financing Future Liabilities
• Assets < 1 year’s payout• Contribute what’s required to
meet payout
Pay-as-you-go
• Assets < Accrued Liabilities• Contribution depends on law
and/or funding goals
Partially Funded
• Assets >= Accrued Liabilities• Contribute enough to
maintain this
Fully Funded
18
Funding Considerations Will funding change the overall cost of
system? Will funding add or reduce risk of meeting
obligations? Investment risk Interest rate risk Insolvency risk Political risk
Will funding create investment opportunities for economy?
19
Public Sector Pensions are Different1. Perpetual plan 2. Guaranteed pool of tax payers & contributors
Gov’t/SSS can always raise tax/contribution rates to cover pensions expense
3. Why borrow at 9% and earn 6% on investments?4. It all boils down to economy
Changing demographics affects both alternatives If funded, investments must perform well If not funded, wages need to grow faster than
pensions
5. We don’t pre-fund highways, health care and education. Are pensions different?
Unfunded Liabilities Social Security
PV Future Benefits – Assets – PV Future Contributions
Employer Pension Plans PV Accrued Projected Benefits - Assets
ALM For Public Pension Funds Different from ALM for private pension funds
PV of Accrued Benefits doesn’t matter There’s guaranteed money coming in every year
(contributions) Asset maturities should be matched with
income-expenditure shortfalls, not benefit payouts
Need projected net cash flows on open group basis
Closing Thoughts Public liabilities and private liabilities are
different Not all future obligations need to be
recognised as liabilities Not all liabilities need to be pre-funded Regardless of how liabilities are recognised or
funded, sustainable systems require:a) Strong economy b) Good designc) Efficient & effective administration d) Honest & responsible government