Q1. The Board of Directors of Prime Bank has asked management to make changes in the accounting of its pension plan

obligations in order to decrease the reported service cost. Management determines that there are two changes in actuarial

assumptions that will result in a lower service cost. Which of the following pairs of changes in actuarial assumptions will best

achieve the desired effect? Prime Bank can either:

A)   decrease the rate of compensation growth or increase the expected rate of return.

B)   increase the discount rate or decrease the rate of compensation growth.

C)   decrease the discount rate or increase the expected rate of return.

Q2. In order to decrease the projected benefit obligation (PBO) of a pension plan, which of the following changes in actuarial

    assumptions can be made to yield the desired result?

A)   Decrease the rate of compensation growth.

B)   Increase the expected rate of return.

C)   Decrease the discount rate.

Q3. Wonderful Manufacturing has implemented a change in its pension plan, effective January 1, 2008. The change will increase

the future benefits for all of its current employees. Which of the following is the most likely effect on the company’s financial

statements of this change in promised benefits under current U.S. GAAP standards?

A)   The pension expense for the next reporting period will increase by the projected increase in pension benefits due to employees.

B)   The net pension liability will increase immediately by the projected increase in pension benefits due to employees.

C)   The firm’s prior financial statements will be adjusted to reflect the increase in benefits.

Q4. Wes Livingston is the founder and CEO of Bigwell Corporation. As there is an oil and gas concern in the U.S., Livingston is

interested in Bigwell being acquired by a larger competitor and wants to have his company’s financial statements appear as

attractive as possible to a potential suitor. In order to decrease the accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) of the company’s

pension plan, which of the following changes in actuarial assumptions could be made?

A)   Increase the discount rate.

B)   Decrease the rate of compensation growth.

C)   Decrease the discount rate.

Q5. Peak Productions is a publicly traded company that manufactures consumer electronics products in the U.S. The company has

been in operation nearly fifty years, and has a considerable pension plan liability on its financial statements. Peak has a

well-deserved reputation among analysts of utilizing aggressive accounting practices with regards to its pension plan. Which of

the treatments of the following actuarial assumptions is the best example of aggressive accounting for a pension plan?

A)   A high calculated projected benefit obligation (PBO).

B)   A high compensation growth rate.

C)   A high discount rate.

Q6. Roberto Perez, CFA, is the Chief Financial Officer for Home Stores, Inc., a large home improvement retailer with stores located

across the U.S. Home Stores is preparing for a secondary stock offering to secure the necessary capital to pursue an

aggressive expansion campaign. Perez has received a directive from his boss to make every legitimate effort to present Home

Stores’ upcoming financial statements in the best possible light. Perez determines that certain assumptions in the pension plan

can be changed to fulfill this request. Which of the following pension plan assumptions can be changed by a firm to manipulate

its reported results?

             Change                          Result

A)       increased expected rate of return          decreased service cost

B)      decreased discount rate                increased expected return

C)      decreased rate of compensation growth            decreased service cost

答案和详解如下：

Q1. The Board of Directors of Prime Bank has asked management to make changes in the accounting of its pension plan

obligations in order to decrease the reported service cost. Management determines that there are two changes in actuarial

assumptions that will result in a lower service cost. Which of the following pairs of changes in actuarial assumptions will best

achieve the desired effect? Prime Bank can either:

A)   decrease the rate of compensation growth or increase the expected rate of return.

B)   increase the discount rate or decrease the rate of compensation growth.

C)   decrease the discount rate or increase the expected rate of return.

Correct answer is B)         

An increase in the discount rate will result in lower service cost. Using a lower rate of compensation growth will yield lower future pension benefits owed, and thus a lower service cost. The expected return has no impact on service cost.

Q2. In order to decrease the projected benefit obligation (PBO) of a pension plan, which of the following changes in actuarial

    assumptions can be made to yield the desired result?

A)   Decrease the rate of compensation growth.

B)   Increase the expected rate of return.

C)   Decrease the discount rate.

Correct answer is A)

A decrease in the rate of compensation growth will lower future pension payments and in turn, lower the PBO.

Q3. Wonderful Manufacturing has implemented a change in its pension plan, effective January 1, 2008. The change will increase

the future benefits for all of its current employees. Which of the following is the most likely effect on the company’s financial

statements of this change in promised benefits under current U.S. GAAP standards?

A)   The pension expense for the next reporting period will increase by the projected increase in pension benefits due to employees.

B)   The net pension liability will increase immediately by the projected increase in pension benefits due to employees.

C)   The firm’s prior financial statements will be adjusted to reflect the increase in benefits.

Correct answer is B)

A plan amendment will result in an immediate increase in the PBO. Under current U.S. accounting standards, an increase in PBO will result in an increase in the net pension liability (decrease in funded status).

Q4. Wes Livingston is the founder and CEO of Bigwell Corporation. As there is an oil and gas concern in the U.S., Livingston is

interested in Bigwell being acquired by a larger competitor and wants to have his company’s financial statements appear as

attractive as possible to a potential suitor. In order to decrease the accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) of the company’s

pension plan, which of the following changes in actuarial assumptions could be made?

A)   Increase the discount rate.

B)   Decrease the rate of compensation growth.

C)   Decrease the discount rate.

Correct answer is A)

Increasing the assumed discount rate of a pension plan will result in lower pension liabilities, thus decreasing both the ABO and the projected benefit obligation (PBO).

Q5. Peak Productions is a publicly traded company that manufactures consumer electronics products in the U.S. The company has

been in operation nearly fifty years, and has a considerable pension plan liability on its financial statements. Peak has a

well-deserved reputation among analysts of utilizing aggressive accounting practices with regards to its pension plan. Which of

the treatments of the following actuarial assumptions is the best example of aggressive accounting for a pension plan?

A)   A high calculated projected benefit obligation (PBO).

B)   A high compensation growth rate.

C)   A high discount rate.

Correct answer is C)

The assumption of a high discount rate will result in a lower pension liability and almost always a lower pension expense. The more aggressive the actuarial assumptions for a pension plan are, the lower the quality of earnings for the firm.

Q6. Roberto Perez, CFA, is the Chief Financial Officer for Home Stores, Inc., a large home improvement retailer with stores located

across the U.S. Home Stores is preparing for a secondary stock offering to secure the necessary capital to pursue an

aggressive expansion campaign. Perez has received a directive from his boss to make every legitimate effort to present Home

Stores’ upcoming financial statements in the best possible light. Perez determines that certain assumptions in the pension plan

can be changed to fulfill this request. Which of the following pension plan assumptions can be changed by a firm to manipulate

its reported results?

             Change                          Result

A)       increased expected rate of return          decreased service cost

B)      decreased discount rate                increased expected return

C)      decreased rate of compensation growth            decreased service cost

Correct answer is C)

The rate of compensation growth is the expected average annual increase in employee compensation. If the rate of growth is lowered, reported results will be improved due to a decrease in service cost. A decrease in service cost will result in lower pension expense.

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