In statements 43 and 45, issued in 2004, GASB recommended that plan administrators use one of four
actuarial cost method to determine an employer's normal cost contribution.
A Statement Of The
Actuarial Cost Method Selected And Actuarial Assumptions;
When employers calculate former employees' COBRA premiums, for example, they typically use either an "
actuarial cost method" or a "past cost method" to decide how much the COBRA premium ought to be.
A comprehensive funding policy has several moving parts, including an
actuarial cost method, asset-smoothing techniques, and the manner in which any unfunded liabilities are amortized.
The annual cost is based on an
actuarial cost method.
Six actuarial methods are allowed; however, special disclosure is needed it the aggregate
actuarial cost method is used.
* Governments that use the aggregate
actuarial cost method to disclose the funded status and present a multi-year schedule of funding progress using the entry age
actuarial cost method as a surrogate; these governments previously were not required to provide this information.
An
actuarial cost method provides a flexible funding schedule for computing both annual contributions and accrued liability for a pension fund.
The
actuarial cost method and funding assumptions would allow the creation of large deductions.
Recommendation on which
actuarial cost method should be used; entry age; frozen entry age, attained age, unit credit or aggregate;
Likewise, the parameters (e.g.,
actuarial cost method, asset smoothing, and amortization) that have standardized how an ARC is calculated have been eliminated from GAAP.
This alternative method includes the same broad measurement steps as an actuarial valuation (projecting future cash outlays for benefits, discounting projected benefits to present value, and allocating the present value of benefits to periods using an
actuarial cost method).
