DFS Annual Report

Notes to the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements (in millions, except per share data, unless otherwise indicated)-(Continued) On October 1, 2016, Donnelley Financial recorded net pension plan liabilities of $68.3 million (consisting of a total benefit plan liability of $317.0 million, net of plan assets having fair market value of $248.7 million), as a result of the transfer of certain pension plan liabilities and assets from RRD to the Company upon the legal split of those plans. The pension plan asset allocation from RRD is expected to be finalized during the second quarter of 2017. The final asset allocation will result in an adjustment to the fair value of plan assets transferred to the Company from RRD. The Company also recorded a net other postretirement benefit liability of $1.5 million, as a result of the transfer of an other postretirement benefit plan from RRD to the Company. The Company’s primary defined benefit plan is frozen. No new employees will be permitted to enter the Company’s frozen plan and participants will earn no additional benefits. Benefits are generally based upon years of service and compensation. These defined benefit retirement income plans are funded in conformity with the applicable government regulations. The Company funds at least the minimum amount required for all funded plans using actuarial cost methods and assumptions acceptable under government regulations. The annual income and expense amounts relating to the pension plan are based on calculations which include various actuarial assumptions including, mortality expectations, discount rates and expected long-term rates of return. The Company reviews its actuarial assumptions on an annual basis as of December 31 (or more frequently if a significant event requiring remeasurement occurs) and modifies the assumptions based on current rates and trends when it is appropriate to do so. The effects of modifications are recognized immediately on the consolidated and combined balance sheets, but are amortized into operating earnings over future periods, with the deferred amount recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss. Total pension (income) /expense was ($1.0) million, ($27.0) million and $62.1 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, of which ($25.2) million and ($31.0) million was allocated in 2015 and 2014, respectively, to RRD and RRD related parties. During the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company changed the method used to estimate the interest cost components of net pension plan expense for its defined benefit pension plan. Historically, the interest cost components were estimated using a single weighted-average discount rate derived from the yield curve used to measure the projected benefit obligation at the beginning of the period. Beginning in the first quarter of 2016, the Company has elected to use a full yield curve approach in the estimation of these interest components of net pension plan expense by applying the specific spot rates along the yield curve used in the determination of the projected benefit obligation to the relevant projected cash flows. The Company made this change to improve the correlation between projected benefit cash flows and the corresponding yield curve spot rates and to provide a more precise measurement of interest costs. This change does not affect the measurement and calculation of the Company’s total benefit obligations. The Company has accounted for this change prospectively as a change in estimate. In June 2014, RRD communicated to certain former employees the option to receive a lump-sum pension payment or annuity computed in accordance with statutory requirements, with payments beginning in the fourth quarter of 2014. Payments to eligible participants who elected to receive a lump-sum pension payment or annuity were funded from existing pension plan assets and constituted a complete settlement of the Company’s pension liabilities with respect to these participants. The Company’s pension assets and liabilities were remeasured as of the payout dates. The discount rates and actuarial assumptions used to calculate the payouts were determined in accordance with federal regulations. As of the remeasurement dates, the reductions in the reported pension obligations for these participants was $404.0 million, compared to payout amounts of approximately $317.7 million. The Company recorded non-cash settlement charges of $95.7 million included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the fourth quarter of 2014 in connection with the settlement payments. These charges resulted from the recognition in earnings of a portion of the losses recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss based on the proportion of the obligation settled. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company adopted the Society of Actuaries RP-2014 mortality tables which were used in the calculation of the Company’s U.S. pension obligations. The new mortality tables increased the expected life of plan participants, extending the length of time that payments may be required and increasing the plans’ total expected benefit payments. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company adopted an update to the Society of Actuaries RP-2014 mortality tables. The 2016 mortality table update resulted in a partial reversal of the 2014 increases in the expected life of plan participants and benefit obligations. The Company made contributions of $1.3 million to its pension plans during the year ended December 31, 2016. The Company expects to make cash contributions of approximately $2.2 million and $0.1 million to its pension and other postretirement benefit plans, respectively, in 2017. The pension plan obligations are calculated using generally accepted actuarial methods and are measured as of December 31. Actuarial gains and losses for frozen plans are amortized using the corridor method over the average remaining expected life of active plan participants. F-17