答案和详解如下: Q1. Financial analysts can use select data from a company’s financial statements to derive an adjusted pension expense in order to better reflect the company’s true economic pension cost. Which of the following formulas will most accurately calculate a company’s adjusted pension expense? A) Beginning fair value of plan assets + service cost + interest cost – ending fair value of plan assets. B) Service cost + interest cost – actual return on plan assets – benefits paid. C) Service cost + interest cost – actual return on plan assets. Correct answer is C) An adjusted pension expense is calculated without reflecting the amortization of unrecognized items and other smoothing mechanisms included in reported pension expense, and in addition uses the plan’s actual return on assets, rather than the plan’s expected return. Q2. An “adjusted” pension expense can be calculated to better reflect a firm’s true economic pension cost than the reported pension expense. Which of the following adjustments to reported pension cost should be made? A) The inclusion of amortization of unrecognized items. B) The inclusion of actual benefits paid to employees. C) The use of actual instead of expected return on assets. Correct answer is C) Reported pension cost can be adjusted by the removal of both the amortization of unrecognized items and other smoothing mechanisms, plus the use of actual return on assets rather the expected return. The resulting adjusted pension expense is a more accurate portrayal of the firm’s true pension cost. |