Defined benefit scheme

The SpareBank 1 SMN Group has a pension scheme for its staff that meet the requirements set for mandatory occupational pensions. SpareBank 1 SMN had a defined benefit scheme previously. This pension scheme is administered by a pension fund conferring entitlement to specific future pension benefits from age 67. The schemes include children’s pension and disability pension under further rules. The Group’s defined benefit pension scheme assures the majority of employees a pension of 68 percent of final salary up to 12G. This arrangement was terminated from 1 January 2017. Employees on this scheme was transferred to the defined contribution scheme and received a paid-up policy showing rights accumulated under the defined benefit scheme.  The termination resulted in reduced pension obligations, which has been treated  as a settlement gain and reduced the pension expense for 2016.

Paid-up policies are managed by the pension fund, which becomes a paid-up pension fund as from 1 January 2017. A framework agreement has been established between SpareBank 1 SMN and the pension fund which covers funding, asset management etc. In view of the responsibility still held by SpareBank 1 SMN, future liabilities will need to be incorporated in the accounts. 

The board of the pension fund is required to be composed of representatives from the Group and participants in the pension schemes in accordance with the articles of association of the pension fund.  In addition to the pension obligations coveredd by the pension fund, the group has unfunded pension liabilities which can not be funded by the assets in the collective arrangements. The obligations  entails  employees not  registered as member of the pension fund, additional  pensions above 12 G, early retirement pension schemes and  contractual early retirement schemes in new arrangement (AFP Subsidies Act).

Defined contribution scheme

Under a defined contribution pension scheme the group does not provide a future pension of a given size; instead the group pays an annual contribution to the employees’ collective pension savings. The future pension will depend on the size of the contribution and the annual return on the pension savings. The group has no further obligations related to employees’ labour contribution after the annual contribution has been paid. There is no allocation for accrued pension obligations under such schemes. Defined contribution schemes are directly expensed. Any pre-paid contributions are recognised as an asset (pension assets) to the extent the contribution can be refunded or reduce future inpayments. The contributions are made to the pension fund for full-time employees, and the contribution is from 7 per cent from 0-7,1 G and 15 per cent from 7.1 – 12 G. The premium is expensed as incurred.

Early retirement pension scheme (“AFP”)

The banking and financial industry has established an agreement on an early retirement pension scheme (“AFP”). The scheme covers early retirement pension from age 62 to 67. The Bank pays 100 per cent of the pension paid from age 62 to 64 and 60 per cent of the pension paid from age 65 to age 67. Admission of new retirees ceased with effect from 31 December 2010. The Act on state subsidies in respect of employees who take out contractual pension in the private sector (AFP Subsidies Act) entered into force on 19 February 2010. Employees who take out AFP with effect in 2011 or later will receive benefits under the new scheme. The new AFP scheme represents a lifelong add-on to National Insurance and can be taken out from age 62. Employees accumulate AFP entitlement at an annual rate of 0.314 per cent of pensionable income capped at 7.1G up to age 62. Accumulation under the new scheme is calculated with reference to the employee’s lifetime income, such that all previous working years are included in the qualifying basis.

For accounting purposes the new AFP scheme is regarded as a defined benefit multi-employer scheme. This entails that each employer accounts for its pro rata share of the scheme’s pension obligation, pension assets and pension cost. If no calculations of the individual components of the scheme and a consistent and reliable basis for allocation are available, the new AFP scheme will be accounted for as a defined-contribution scheme. At the present time no such basis exists, and the new AFP scheme is accordingly accounted for as a defined-contribution scheme. The new AFP scheme will only be accounted for as a defined-benefit scheme once reliable measurement and allocation can be undertaken. Under the new scheme, one-third of the pension expenses will be funded by the State, two-thirds by the employers. The employers’ premium will be fixed as a percentage of salary payments between 1G and 7.1G.

In keeping with the recommendation of the Norwegian Accounting Standards Board, no provision was made for the group’s de facto AFP obligation in the accounting year. This is because the office that coordinates the schemes run by the main employer and trade union organisations has yet to perform the necessary calculations.

The pension scheme arrangement is located in its own pension fund, which has a long-term horizon on the management of its capital. The pension fund seeks to achieve as high a rate of return as possible by composing an investment portfolio that provides the maximum risk-adjusted return. The pension fund seeks to spread its investments on various issuers and asset classes in order to reduce company-specific and market-specific risk. The portfolio thus comprises equity investments in Norwegian and foreign shares. The bond portfolio is essentially invested in Norwegian bonds. Bank deposits are placed in Norwegian Banks.