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Discounting Pension Liabilities: Funding versus Value

In: The Impact of Reforms of State Retirement Plans

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  • Jeffrey R. Brown
  • George Pennacchi

Abstract

We argue that the appropriate discount rate for pension liabilities depends on the objective. In particular, if the objective is to measure pension under- or over- funding, a default-free discount rate should always be used, even if the liabilities are themselves not default-free. If, instead, the objective is to determine the market value of pension benefits, then it is appropriate that discount rates incorporate default risk. We also discuss the choice of a default-free discount rate. Finally, we show how cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that are common in public pensions can be accounted for and valued in this framework.
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Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey R. Brown & George Pennacchi, 2015. "Discounting Pension Liabilities: Funding versus Value," NBER Chapters, in: The Impact of Reforms of State Retirement Plans, pages 254-284, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberch:13663
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    1. Graveline, Jeremy J. & McBrady, Matthew R., 2011. "Who makes on-the-run Treasuries special?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 620-632, October.
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    8. Joseph Haubrich & George Pennacchi & Peter Ritchken, 2012. "Inflation Expectations, Real Rates, and Risk Premia: Evidence from Inflation Swaps," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(5), pages 1588-1629.
    9. Novy-Marx, Robert & Rauh, Joshua D., 2014. "Linking benefits to investment performance in US public pension systems," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 47-61.
    10. Deborah J. Lucas & Stephen P. Zeldes, 2009. "How Should Public Pension Plans Invest?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(2), pages 527-532, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew G. Biggs, 2015. "The state of public pension funding: Are government employee plans back on track?," AEI Economic Perspectives, American Enterprise Institute, September.
    2. Sven Klingler & David Lando, 2018. "Safe Haven CDS Premiums," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(5), pages 1856-1895.
    3. Carlos Vidal-Meliá & Manuel Ventura-Marco & Juan Manuel Pérez-Salamero González, 2018. "Social Insurance Accounting for a Notional Defined Contribution Scheme Combining Retirement and Long-Term Care Benefits," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-36, August.
    4. Boon, L.N. & Brière, M. & Rigot, S., 2018. "Regulation and pension fund risk-taking," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 23-41.
    5. Carlos Vidal-Meliá & Manuel Ventura-Marco & Juan Manuel Pérez-Salamero González, 2018. "Actuarial accounting for a notional defined contribution scheme combining retirement and longterm care benefits," Documentos de Trabajo del ICAE 2018-16, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Instituto Complutense de Análisis Económico.
    6. Lekniūtė, Zina & Beetsma, Roel & Ponds, Eduard, 2019. "U.S. municipal yields and unfunded state pension liabilities," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 15-32.
    7. Jeffrey R. Brown & Richard F. Dye, 2015. "Illinois Pensions in a Fiscal Context: A (Basket) Case Study," NBER Working Papers 21293, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Luca Larcher & Francis Breedon, 2020. "Discounting and the market valuation of defined benefit pensions," Working Papers 932, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    9. Lekniute, Z. & Beetsma, R.M.W.J. & Ponds, Eduard, 2016. "Fooling the Market? Municipal Yields and Unfunded State Pension Liabilities," Other publications TiSEM 591eb14d-c598-4297-a775-7, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    10. Landon, Stuart & Smith, Constance, 2018. "Does a Discount Rate Rule Ensure a Pension Plan Can Pay Promised Benefits without Excessive Asset Accumulation?," Working Papers 2018-1, University of Alberta, Department of Economics.
    11. Lanying Sun & Changhao Su & Xinghui Xian, 2020. "Assessing the Sustainability of China’s Basic Pension Funding for Urban and Rural Residents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, April.
    12. Anne M. Garvey & Juan Manuel Pérez-Salamero González & Manuel Ventura-Marco & Carlos Vidal-Meliá, 2021. "From “Table 29” to the actuarial balance sheet: is it really that big a leap?," Documentos de Trabajo del ICAE 2021-05, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Instituto Complutense de Análisis Económico.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare

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