Question - Measuring and recording pension expense
Kessler, Inc. received the following information from its pension plan trustee concerning the operation of the company's defined-benefit pension plan for the year ended December 31, 2011:
January 1, 2011 December 31, 2011
Projected benefit obligation $2,500,000 $2,850,000
Market-related asset value 1,250,000 1,600,000
Accumulated benefit obligation 1,930,000 2,620,000
Accumulated OCI - (PSC) 540,000 300,000
The service cost component for 2011 is $150,000 and the amortization of prior service cost is $240,000. The company's actual funding of the plan in 2011 amounted to $510,000. The expected return on plan assets and the settlement rate were both 8%.
Instructions -
(a) Determine the pension expense to be reported in 2011.
(b) Prepare the journal entry to record pension expense and the employers' contribution to the pension plan in 2011.