SACRS Symposium The 2008 Market Collapse WHAT DO WE DO NOW? BOB MCCRORY EFI ACTUARIES MARCH 20,

Shifting Costs Hidden Costs Hidden Risk Things That Don’t Work Flying Pigs 2 Today’s Discussion

Asset Smoothing Policy Amortization Policy Direct Cost Smoothing 3 Shifting Costs

Tools Asset Smoothing Amortization Policy Direct Cost Smoothing Ask yourself: What are our choices? What are the rules? What is current practice? What are your limits? 4

Asset Smoothing Policy Choices Market value or actuarial (smoothed) value? How much smoothing: Three, five, seven, 15 years? Layered smoothing (one layer for each year) or combined (rolling)? Corridor around market value? No corridor? 5

Asset Smoothing Policy Rules “Reasonable range” around market – ASOP 44, and “Reasonable period of time” to converge to market – ASOP 44; or “Sufficiently narrow range” or converges in a “sufficiently short period” Current Practice Five-year smoothing with 20% corridor is de facto standard (ERISA) Combined, not layered smoothing, with factor of 15 and 20% corridor (CalPERS) What is “reasonable”? What is “sufficient” 6

Amortization Policy Choices Actuarial Funding Method: Each produces different balance between normal cost and accrued liability Layered amortization or combined? How long? Generally 10 to 30 years Level $ or level % of payroll (increasing $)? Different bases and periods for different sources? Gains/losses vs. amendments 7

Amortization Policy Rules No more than 30 years (GASB) Level % of pay is “negative amortization” after about 17 years Current Practice Practice varies widely Gains and losses over a rolling 30-year, level % payroll (CalPERS) Is level % of payroll reasonable if employment is likely to drop? 8

Direct Cost Smoothing Choices Actuarial cost Phase into actuarial cost over a number of years Actuarial cost with limits on level (e.g., cost must be less than 23.7%) Actuarial cost with limits on growth (e.g., cost cannot increase more than 0.6% of pay per year) Single stipulated cost 9

Direct Cost Smoothing Rules CERL requires minimum of normal cost plus 30 year amortization of unfunded Any contribution less than the Annual Required Contribution will create a Net Pension Obligation under GASB standards Any limit on contributions could cause insolvency Underpayments are paid back with interest Current Practice Practice varies widely Limits always legislated Usually overrides and violates actuarial practice Is this a loan? 10

Compensation Policy Disabilities Furloughs Early Retirement 11 Hidden Costs

Compensation Policy Review pensionable earnings Earnings structure – therefore pensionable earnings – may be bargained, subject to immediate change Review last 50 or so retirements and disabilities. Jumps in pay at retirement (spiking)? Categories of pay not available to all members? Special pay for some members? Benefit disparities among similarly situated members? Terminal payments (unused sick leave or vacation) increasing final average pay? Incentive bonuses? 12

Compensation Policy Review seniority systems Can drive access to overtime, thus final compensation and payroll What impact does this have? Do you want to limit this? Goals Not trying to reduce benefits Improve benefit predictability Improve adherence to pension policy goals A pension plan, not a lottery Rough Rule of Thumb: Save $15 in liabilities for every $1 reduction in benefits 13

Disabilities Budgetary restrictions often cause increases in disability rates Encourage less productive employees to take disability Reduce/privatize limited duty positions Balance department budget on back of the pension plan Track changes in disabilities Not just rates: Employee class and department as well Ongoing monitoring, not just actuarial study Maintain consistency in disability policy Be sure policies for confirming disability, income offsets are followed 14

Hidden Costs Furloughs Decrease payroll; leave benefit unchanged Increase cost as a percent of payroll Decrease payroll over which unfunded liabilities and gains/losses are amortized Early Retirement In general, earlier retirement increases plan costs Subsidized early retirement adds additional cost Also reduces payroll base 15

Plan Maturity Layers Layoffs 16 Hidden Risks

Plan Maturity ’37 Act Plans are maturing Baby Boom is retiring Replacement employees older Plan improvements increasing retirement benefits Government employment static, maybe declining (?) Result is increase in ratio of assets to payroll 17

Plan Maturity Assets as a Percentage of Payroll 18

Plan Maturity Increase in ratio of assets to payroll Typical ‘37 Act plan is increasing from about 5X payroll to around 9X payroll Represents a sensitivity ratio As the ratio increases, investment gains and losses are larger relative to payroll Produces more cost volatility Increasing risk is structural, permanent, unavoidable In addition, OPEB benefits are starting to be pre-funded 19

Layers Layers (tranches?) in asset smoothing and unfunded liability add to cost volatility Cost steps – up or down – as layers are established and retired Sometimes these cancel, sometimes they reinforce each other Layers bring advantages as well Each layer is eventually retired Layers are reasonably predictable 20

Layers 21

Layers 22

Layers 23

Layoffs Our projections routinely assume constant active workforce Implies an increasing active payroll Layoffs, hiring freezes, pay freezes all violate these assumptions Payroll decreases; benefits in pay status unchanged Members near retirement not affected much Layoffs usually among younger members who don’t cost much Increases cost as a percent of payroll Decreases payroll over which unfunded liabilities and gains/losses are amortized 24

Contribution Limits Downsizing Defecting to CalPERS Quid Pro Quo 25 Things That Don’t Work

Contribution Limits Limit on level or growth of employer contributions Increase by no more than 0.6% of pay per year Total contribution less than 23.7% of pay CalSTRS bases maximum contribution on 1990 formula, benefits, adjusted assets Generally legislated Can lead to insolvency Must be monitored closely and managed 26

Contribution Limits: Funding Ratio 27

Contribution Limits: Chaos 28

Downsizing Spinning off operations or subdivisions Lose active members and payroll Employer contribution decreases Often lose a revenue stream Retirees and disabled remain Fewer active members and payroll to support the Plan Volatility and risk of remaining Plan increases Example: General Motors 29

Defecting to CalPERS Some participating employers are withdrawing to join CalPERS. Impact on Legacy Plan: Lose active members and payroll Retirees and disabled remain Fewer active members and payroll to support the Plan Lose a revenue stream CalPERS amortizes initial unfunded and gains and losses over 30 years – often longer than Legacy Plan amortization period Therefore, employer contribution decreases Volatility and risk of Legacy Plan increases 30

Quid Pro Quo “If the Retirement Board reduces our contribution we will…” 31

The Actuarial World is not the Real World 32 Flying Pigs

Flying Pigs Projected Actuarial Cost 33

Flying Pigs Simulated Actuarial Cost 34

Work Together! 35 Best Friends

Work Together! Pension stakeholders must work together Retirement Board Board of Supervisors and other employers Employee organizations Retirees Work together to develop: Shared vision Shared understanding of the problems Common strategy and tactics Shared sacrifice 36

Work Together! Share information Retirement Board presentations to employers about current and expected costs Employer presentations to Retirement Board on employer financial situation Presentations to employee organizations and retirees on funding basics, current financial environment Joint planning Working groups with retirement board, employer, and employee participation Joint press policy 37

Bob McCrory (206) efi-actuaries.com Graham Schmidt (415) efi-actuaries.com 38 Contact Information