Erickson Company sponsors a defined benefit pension plan. The corporation’s actuary provides the following information about the plan. January 1, December 31, 2017 2017 Vested benefit obligation \(1,500 \)1,900 Accumulated benefit obligation 1,900 2,730 Projected benefit obligation 2,500 3,300 Plan assets (fair value) 1,700 2,620 Settlement rate and expected rate of return 10% Pension asset/liability 800 ? Service cost for the year 2017 400 Contributions (funding in 2017) 700 Benefits paid in 2017 200 Instructions (a) Compute the actual return on the plan assets in 2017. (b) Compute the amount of the other comprehensive income (G/L) as of December 31, 2017. (Assume the January 1, 2017, balance was zero.) (c) Compute the amount of net gain or loss amortization for 2017 (corridor approach). (d) Compute pension expense for 2017.

Short Answer

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The corridor approach is the type of approach an organization opts for to decrease their amount of total gains or lossesso that relevant adjustments can be made to thetotal pension expensefor the year.

Step by step solution

01

(a) Computation of the amount of the other comprehensive income (G/L) as of December 31, 2017

Particulars

Amount

Fair value of plan assets Dec 31, 2017

$2,620

Less: Fair value of plan assets, Jan 1 2017

$1,700

Increase in fair value of plan assets

$920

Less: Contributions

$700

Less: Benefits paid

$200

$500

Actual return on plan assets in 2017

$420

02

(b) Computation of the amount of the other comprehensive income (G/L) as of December 31, 2017

Particulars

Amount

PBO at the end of the year

$3,300

PBO per memo records:

Add: PBO as on 1/1/17

$2,500

Add: Interest @10%

$250

Add: Service cost

$400

Less: Benefits paid

$200

$2,950

Liability loss

$350

Actual fair value of plan assets 12/31/17

$2,620

Less: Expected fair value of plan assets 1/1/17

$1,700

Add: Expected return $1,700×10%

$170

Add: Contributions

$700

Less: Benefits paid

$200

$2,370

Asset gain

$250

Net (Gain) or Loss

($100)

03

(c) Computation of the amount of net gain or loss amortization for 2017 (corridor approach).

The computation of the amount of net gain or loss amortization for the year 2017 is not required. There was no net gain or loss at the beginning of the Erickson Company’s financial year by the question.

04

(d) Computation of pension expense for 2017

Particulars

Amount

Service cost

$400

Add: Interest cost 2,500×10%

$250

Less: Actual return on plan assets$170+$250

$420

Add: Unexpected gain

$250

Pension Expense

$480

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Larson Corp. sponsors a defined benefit pension plan for its employees. On January 1, 2018, the following balances related to this plan. Plan assets (market-related value) \(270,000 Projected benefit obligation 340,000 Pension asset/liability 70,000 Cr. Prior service cost 90,000 OCI—Loss 39,000

As a result of the operation of the plan during 2018, the actuary provided the following additional data for 2018. Service cost \)45,000 Actual return on plan assets 27,000 Amortization of prior service cost 12,000 Contributions 65,000 Benefits paid retirees 41,000 Settlement rate 7% Expected return on plan assets 8% Average remaining service life of active employees 10 years Instructions (a) Compute pension expense for Larson Corp. for the year 2018 by preparing a pension worksheet that shows the journal entry for pension expense. (b) Indicate the pension amounts reported in the financial statements

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