The Milliman 100 PFI funded ratio increases to 98.3%
as investment gain of 2.30% offsets discount rate decrease
The funded status of the 100 largest corporate defined benefit
pension plans increased by $2 billion during April as measured
by the Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index (PFI). The deficit
improved to $30 billion from $32 billion at the end of March
primarily due to strong investment performance during April.
The funded status improvement was partially offset by liability
increases due to a decrease in the benchmark corporate bond
interest rates used to value pension liabilities. As of April 30,
the funded ratio inched upward to 98.3%, from 98.2% at the end
of March. This is the seventh consecutive month in which the
funded ratio has improved.
April’s robust 2.30% investment gain increased Milliman 100
PFI asset values by $34 billion, to $1.791 trillion at the end of
April. By comparison, the 2021 Milliman Pension Funding
Study (PFS) reported that the monthly median expected
investment return during 2020 was 0.50% (6.2% annualized).
The full results of the annual 2021 study can be found at milliman.com/pfs.
The Milliman 100 PFI projected benefit obligation (PBO)
increased by $32 billion during April to $1.821 trillion. The
change resulted from a decrease of 14 basis points in the
monthly discount rate, to 2.98% for April from 3.12% in March.
Discount rates above 3.00% have been short-lived with
March being the only month posting such results in the last
twelve months.
FIGURE 1: MILLIMAN 100 PENSION FUNDING INDEX — PENSION SURPLUS/DEFICIT
FIGURE 2: MILLIMAN 100 PENSION FUNDING INDEX — PENSION FUNDED RATIO
First quarter of 2021: Summary
Over the last 12 months (May 2020 – April 2021), the cumulative
asset gain for these pensions has been 15.7% and the Milliman
100 PFI funded status deficit has improved by $246 billion. The
funded status gain is primarily the result of stellar investments
over the past 12-month period. Discount rates declined through
most of 2020 and only recently showed upward movements
during the first quarter of 2021. The funded ratio of the
Milliman 100 companies has increased significantly over the
past 12 months, to 98.3% from 85.2%.
2021-2022 projections
If the Milliman 100 PFI companies were to achieve the
expected 6.2% median asset return (as per the 2021 PFS), and if
the current discount rate of 2.98% were maintained during 2021
and 2022, we forecast that the funded status of the surveyed
plans would increase. This would result in a projected pension
surplus of $6 billion (funded ratio of 100.3%) by the end of 2021
and a projected pension surplus of $64 billion (funded ratio of
103.6%) by the end of 2022. For purposes of this forecast, we
have assumed 2021 and 2022 aggregate annual contributions of
$25 billion and $28 billion, respectively.
Under an optimistic forecast with rising interest rates (reaching
3.38% by the end of 2021 and 3.98% by the end of 2022) and
asset gains (10.2% annual returns), the funded ratio would
climb to 109% by the end of 2021 and 126% by the end of 2022.
Under a pessimistic forecast with similar interest rate and
asset movements (2.58% discount rate at the end of 2021 and
1.98% by the end of 2022 and 2.2% annual returns), the funded
ratio would decline to 93% by the end of 2021 and 84% by the
end of 2022.
MILLIMAN 100 PENSION FUNDING INDEX — APRIL 2021 (ALL DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN MILLIONS)
PENSION ASSET AND LIABILITY RETURNS

About the Milliman 100
monthly Pension Funding Index
For the past 21 years, Milliman has conducted an annual study
of the 100 largest defined benefit pension plans sponsored
by U.S. public companies. The Milliman 100 Pension Funding
Index projects the funded status for pension plans included in
our study, reflecting the impact of market returns and interest
rate changes on pension funded status, utilizing the actual
reported asset values, liabilities, and asset allocations of the
companies’ pension plans.
The results of the Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index were
based on the actual pension plan accounting information
disclosed in the footnotes to the companies’ annual reports for
the 2020 fiscal year and for previous fiscal years. This pension
plan accounting disclosure information was summarized as
part of the Milliman 2021 Pension Funding Study, which was
published on April 7, 2021. In addition to providing the financial
information on the funded status of U.S. qualified pension
plans, the footnotes may also include figures for the companies’
nonqualified and foreign plans, both of which are often unfunded
or subject to different funding standards than those for U.S.
qualified pension plans. They do not represent the funded status
of the companies’ U.S. qualified pension plans under ERISA.