The decline of traditional DB plans has also been accompanied by growth in hybrid
plans such as cash balance (CB) plans[8]. While conversion to CB plans is one way in
which traditional DB plans have been modified, CB conversions have been hampered
by legal and political problems. Further, companies seeking to stop additional pension
accruals for at least some of their workers generally have two main options available to
them:
(1) a DB plan termination; or
(2) a DB plan freeze.
When a DB plan terminates, it ceases all operations, and all accumulated benefits vest
immediately. When a company freezes a DB plan, however, the pension plan itself
continues to operate, although some or all of the employees stop accruing benefits.
DB plan terminations were attractive in the 1980s when plans were largely overfunded
(in contrast to our current sample period in which DB plans show a mean underfunded
status) and companies sought the reversion of asset surpluses. Such terminations declined
in popularity with the imposition of excise taxes up to 50 percent on the recovery of these
excess assets by new tax laws in 1986, 1988, and 1990. Additionally, firms terminating
pension plans are required to immediately fund the accumulated benefits by purchasing
an insurance annuity. Therefore, for firms with underfunded plans, termination may not
be financially feasible unless conditions are met to trigger bankruptcy pension insurance
coverage by the PBGC. Consequently, the best option available to many companies who
seek to reduce their relative exposure to DB plans is freezing the plan.