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Pension Plans and Postretirement Benefits | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Postretirement, Pension and Other Employee Benefit Plans | Note 12: Postretirement, Pension and Other Employee Benefit Plans The table below provides condensed information on our postretirement and pension benefit plans.
|  |  | 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012 |
Year ended December 31 (in millions) |  | Postretirement Benefits |  | Pension Benefits |  | Postretirement Benefits |  | Pension Benefits |  | Postretirement Benefits |  | Pension Benefits |
Benefit obligation | $ | 837 |  | $ | 581 |  | $ | 633 |  | $ | 498 |  | $ | 703 |  | $ | 805 |
Fair value of plan assets(a) |  | - |  |  | 242 |  |  | - |  |  | 220 |  |  | - |  |  | 403 |
Plan funded status and recorded |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| benefit obligation |  | (837) |  |  | (339) |  |  | (633) |  |  | (278) |  |  | (703) |  |  | (402) |
Portion of benefit obligation not |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| yet recognized in benefits expense |  | 46 |  |  | 53 |  |  | (110) |  |  | (3) |  |  | 17 |  |  | 151 |
Benefits expense(b) |  | 59 |  |  | 14 |  |  | 65 |  |  | 12 |  |  | 60 |  |  | 163 |
Discount rate |  | 4.25 | % | 3.75-4.25 | % |  | 5.00-5.25 | % | 4.50-5.25 | % |  | 4.25 | % | 3.25-4.25 | %
Expected return on plan assets |  | N/A |  |  | 5.00 | % |  | N/A |  |  | 5.00 | % |  | N/A |  |  | 5.00 | %
(a) The fair value of the plan assets are primarily based on Level 1 inputs that use quoted market prices for identical financial instruments in an active market. (b) We did not recognize service costs related to our pension plans in 2014 and 2013 as the plans were frozen. The 2012 amount included service cost s related to our pension benefits of $139 million. Postretirement Benefit Plans We sponsor various benefit plans that provide postretirement benefits to eligible employees based on years of s ervice. The Comcast Postretirement Healthcare Stipend Program (the “stipend plan”) provides an annual stipend for reimbursement of healthcare costs to each eligible employee based on years of service. Under the stipend plan, we are not exposed to the incre asing costs of healthcare because the benefits are fixed at a predetermined amount. NBCUniversal’s postretirement medical and life insurance plans provide continuous coverage to employees eligible to receive such benefits. A small number of eligible employ ees also participate in legacy plans of acquired companies. All of our postretirement benefit plans are un funded and substantially all of our postretirement benefit obligations are recorded to noncurrent liabilities. The expense we recognize for our postr etirement benefit plans is determined using certain assumptions, including the discount rate. Pension Plans NBCUniversal NBCUniversal sponsor s various qualified and nonqualified defined benefit plans for domestic employees for which future benefits have be en frozen. We ceased to recognize service costs associated with these defined benefit plans following the date on which future benefits were frozen. The expense we recognize for our defined benefit plans is determined using certain assumptions, including t he discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. We recognize the funded or unfunded status of our defined benefit plans as an asset or liability in our consolidated balance sheet and recognize changes in the funded status in the year in which the changes occur through accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). In addition to the defined benefit plans it sponsors, NBCUniversal is also obligated to reimburse GE for future benefit payments to those participants who were vested in the supplemental pension plan sponsored by GE at the time of the NBCUniversal transaction in 2011. In October 2013, we provided notice to the plan participants of the qualified pension plan of our intent to terminate the plan effective December 31, 2013. On June 27, 2014, we filed a Standard Termination Notice with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) and on August 26, 2014, the related PBGC review concluded with no objections. We filed for Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) approval on May 23, 2014 and expect to fully fund and settle the plan within 120 days of receipt of approval. We currently anticipate the contributions required from us to fully fund and settle the plan to be $16 million. Other In August 2013, we settled all of our obligations related to the termination in February 2012 of the qualified pension plan that provided benefits to former employees of a company we acquired as part of the AT&T Broadband transaction in 2002. In connection with this final settlement, we fully funded the plan with additional contributions of $55 million and recorded an expense of $74 million in other operating and administrative expenses, which was previously recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Other Employee Be nefits Deferred Compensation Plans We maintain unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plans for certain members of management and nonemployee directors (each, a “participant”). The amount of compensation deferred by each participant is based on parti cipant elections. Participant accounts, except for those in the NBCUniversal plan, are credited with income primarily based on a fixed annual rate. Participants in the NBCUniversal plan designate one or more valuation funds, independently established funds or indices that are used to determine the amount of income or loss to be credited or debited to the participant’s account. Participants are eligible to receive distributions of the amounts credited to their account based on elected deferral periods that a re consistent with the plans and applicable tax law. The table below presents the benefit obligation and interest expense for our deferred compensation plans.
Year ended December 31 (in millions) |  | 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012
Benefit obligation | $ | 1,774 | $ | 1,434 | $ | 1,247
Interest expense | $ | 149 | $ | 128 | $ | 107
We have purchased life insurance policies to recover a portion of the future payments related to our deferred compensation plans. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the cash surrender value of these policies, which is recorded to other noncurrent assets, was $628 million and $565 million, respectively. Retirement Investment Plans We sponsor several 401(k) defined contribution retirement plans that allow eligible employees to contribute a portion of their compensation t hrough payroll deductions in accordance with specified plan guidelines. We make contributions to the plans that include matching a percentage of the employees’ contributions up to certain limits. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, expenses related to these plans totaled $379 million, $324 million and $246 million, respectively. Split-Dollar Life Insurance Agreements We have collateral assignment split-dollar life insurance agreements with select key current and former employees that require us to incur certa in insurance-related costs. Under some of these agreements, our obligation to provide benefits to the employees extends beyond retirement. The table below presents the benefit obligation and expenses related to our split-dollar life insurance agreements.
Year ended December 31 (in millions) |  | 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012
Benefit obligation | $ | 217 | $ | 212 | $ | 202
Other operating and administrative expenses | $ | 52 | $ | 50 | $ | 58
Multiemployer Benefit Plans We participate in various multiemployer benefit plans, including pension and postretirement benefit plans, that cover some of our employees and temporary employees who are represented by labor unions. We also participate in other multiemployer benefit plans that provide health and welfare and retirement savings benefits to active and retired participants. We make p eriodic contributions to these plans in accordance with the terms of applicable collective bargaining agreements and laws but do not sponsor or administer these plans. We do not participate in any multiemployer benefit plans for which we consider our contr ibutions to be individually significant, and the largest plans in which we participate are funded at a level of 80% or greater. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, the total contributions we made to mult iemployer pension plans were $58 million, $59 million and $40 mi llion, respectively. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, the total contributions we made to multiemployer postretirement and other benefit plans were $125 million, $98 million and $114 million, respectively. If we cease to be obligated to make contributions or were to o therwise withdraw from participation in any of these plans, applicable law would require us to fund our allocable share of the unfunded vested benefits, which is known as a withdrawal liability. In addition, actions taken by other participating employers m ay lead to adverse changes in the financial condition of one of these plans, which could result in an increase in our withdrawal liability. Severance Benefits We provide severance benefits to certain former employees. A liability is recorded for benefits provided when payment is probable, the amount is reasonably estimable, and the obligation relates to rights that have vested or accumulated. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, we recorded severance costs of $152 million, $160 million and $155 million, respe ctively.
NBCUniversal Media, LLC [Member] |
Postretirement, Pension and Other Employee Benefit Plans | Note 12: Postretirement, Pension and Other Employee Benefit Plans The ta ble below provides condensed information on our postretirement and pension benefit plans.
|  | 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012
Year ended December 31 (in millions) | Postretirement Benefits |  | Pension Benefits |  | Postretirement Benefits |  | Pension Benefits |  | Postretirement Benefits |  | Pension Benefits |
Benefit obligation | $ | 209 |  | $ | 581 |  | $ | 158 |  | $ | 498 |  | $ | 177 |  | $ | 546 |
Fair value of plan assets(a) |  | - |  |  | 242 |  |  | - |  |  | 220 |  |  | - |  |  | 217 |
Plan funded status and recorded |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| benefit obligation |  | (209) |  |  | (339) |  |  | (158) |  |  | (278) |  |  | (177) |  |  | (329) |
Portion of benefit obligation not yet |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| recognized in benefit expense |  | (3) |  |  | 53 |  |  | (44) |  |  | (3) |  |  | (11) |  |  | 53 |
Benefits expense(b) |  | 12 |  |  | 14 |  |  | 14 |  |  | 12 |  |  | 15 |  |  | 142 |
Discount rate |  | 4.25 | % |  | 3.75-4.25 | % |  | 5.25 | % |  | 4.50-5.25 | % |  | 4.25 | % |  | 3.75-4.25 | %
Expected return on plan assets |  | N/A |  |  | 5.00 | % |  | N/A |  |  | 5.00 | % |  | N/A |  |  | 5.00 | %
(a) The fair value of the plan assets are primarily based on Level 1 inputs that use quoted market prices for identical financial instruments in an active market. (b) We did not recognize service costs related to our pension plans in 2014 and 2013 as the plans were frozen. The 2012 amount included service cost s related to our pension benefits of $134 million. Postretirement Benefit Plans We have postretirement medical and life insurance plans that provide continuous coverage to employees eligible to receive such benefits and give credit for length of service provided before the close of the joint venture transaction. Substantially all of the employees that were contributed by Comcast as part of the joint venture transaction participate in a postretir ement healthcare stipend program (the “stipend plan”). The stipend plan provides an annual stipend for reimbursement of healthcare costs to each eligible employee based on years of service. Under the stipend plan, we are not exposed to the increasing costs of healthcare because the benefits are fixed at a predetermined amount. All of our postretirement benefit plans are unfunded and substantially all of our postretirement benefit obligations are recorded to noncurrent liabilities. The expense we recognize f or our postretirement benefit plans is determined using certain assumptions, including the discount rate. Pension Plans We sponsor various qualified and nonqualified defined benefit plans for domestic employees for which future benefits have been frozen. W e ceased to recognize service costs associated with these defined benefit plans following the date on which future benefits were frozen. The expense we recognize for our defined benefit plans is determined using certain assumptions, including the discount rate and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. We recognize the funded or unfunded status of our defined benefit plans as an asset or liability in our consolidated balance sheet and recognize changes in the funded status in the year in whic h the changes occur through accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). In addition to the defined benefit plans we sponsor, we are also obligated to reimburse GE for future benefit payments to those participants who were vested in the supplemental pens ion plan sponsored by GE at the time of the joint venture transaction. In October 2013, we provided notice to the plan participants of the qualified pension plan of our intent to terminate the plan effective December 31, 2013. On June 27, 2014, we filed a Standard Termination Notice with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) and on August 26, 2014, the related PBGC review concluded with no objections. We filed for Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) approval on May 23, 2014 and expect to fully fund and settle the plan within 120 days of receipt of approval. We currently anticipate the contributions required from us to fully fund and settle the plan to be $16 million. Our consolidated balance sheet also includes the assets and liabilities of certain legacy pension plans, as well as the assets and liabilities for pension plans of certain foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the benefit obligations associated with these plans exceeded the fair value of the plan assets by $51 mil lion and $43 million, respectively. Other Employee Benefits Deferred Compensation Plans We maintain unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plans for certain members of management and nonemployee directors (each, a “participant”). The amount of compen sation deferred by each participant is based on participant elections. Participants in the plan designate one or more valuation funds, independently established funds or indices that are used to determine the amount of income or loss to be credited or debi ted to the participant’s account. Additionally, certain of our employees participate in Comcast’s unfunded, nonqualified deferred compensation plan. The amount of compensation deferred by each participant is based on participant elections. Participant acco unts are credited with income primarily based on a fixed annual rate. In the case of both deferred compensation plans, participants are eligible to receive distributions of the amounts credited to their account based on elected deferral periods that are c onsistent with the plans and applicable tax law. The table below presents the benefit obligation and interest expense for our deferred compensation plans.
Year ended December 31 (in millions) |  | 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012
Benefit obligation | $ | 349 | $ | 250 | $ | 163
Interest expense | $ | 24 | $ | 18 | $ | 11
Retirement Investment Plans We sponsor several 401(k) defined contribution retirement plans that allow eligible employees to contribute a portion of their compensation through payroll deductions in accordance with specified plan guidelines. We make contributions to the plans that include matching a percentage of the employees’ contributions up to certain limits. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, expenses related to these plans totaled $165 million, $152 million and $85 million, respectively. Multiemployer Benefit Plans We participate in various multiemployer benefit plans, including pension and postretirement benefit plans, that cover some of our employees and temporary employees who are represented by labor unions. We also participate in other multiemployer benefit plans that provide health and welfare and retirement savings benefits to active and retired participants. We make periodic contributions to these plans in accordance with the terms of applicable collective bargaining agreements and laws but do not sponsor or administer these plans. We do not participate in any multiemployer benefit plans for which we co nsider our contributions to be individually significant, and the largest plans in which we participate are funded at a level of 8 0% or greater. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, the total contributions we made to multiemployer pension plans were $58 million, $59 million and $40 million, respectively. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, the total contributions we made to multiemployer postretirement and other benefit plans were $125 million, $98 million and $114 million, respectively. If we cease to be obligated to make contributions or were to otherwise withdraw from participation in any of these plans, applicable law would require us to fund our allocable share of the unfunded vested benefits, which is known as a withdrawal liability. In addition, actions taken by other participating employers may lead to adverse changes in the financial condition of one of these plans, which could result in an increase in our withdrawal liability. Severance Benefits We provide severance benefits to certain former employees. A liability is recorded for benefits provided when payment is probable, the amount is reasonably estimable, and the obligation relates to rights that have vested or accumulated. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, we recorded severance costs of $113 million, $116 million and $90 million, respectively.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2235017 + Details
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