The funded status of the largest defined benefit pension plans improved by $318 billion in 2013, new research shows.
Milliman unveils this finding in the January release of its Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index, which views a host of indicators as positive developments for the defined benefit arena. Among them: an 87-point surge in interest rates and 11.2 percent investment gains, the combination of which fueled a "historic year" for improved pension funding.
"Finally a win-win year for the corporate pension plans of the Milliman 100 pension Funding Index (PFI), as liabilities decreased by $190 billion and assets increased by $128 billion," the report states. "This is the first time since our year-end 2007 report that liabilities decreased and assets increased in the same year."
