The DB Plan also holds assets under an immediate participation guarantee group annuity
contract with a life insurance company. The assets under the contract are invested in pooled
separate accounts and in a general investment account. The pooled separate accounts are
valued based on net asset value (NAV) per unit of participation in the fund. The NAV is used
as a practical expedient to estimate fair values. This practical expedient is not used when it is
determined to be probable that the fund will sell the investment for an amount different than
that reported at NAV. These accounts have no unfunded commitments or significant
redemption restrictions at year-end. The value of these units is determined by the trustee
based on the current market values of the underlying assets of the pooled separate accounts.
Therefore, the value of the pooled separate accounts is deemed to be at estimated fair value.
The general investment account is not actively traded, and significant other observable inputs
are not available. The fair value of the general investment account is calculated by discounting
the related cash flows based on current yields of similar instruments with comparable durations.
The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of
net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Plan’s management
believes the valuation methodologies are appropriate and consistent with other market
participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of
certain investments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.
A fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to valuation methods is used to measure
fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active
markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to
unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements).
The fair value of DB Plan and OPEB Plan assets by levels within the fair value hierarchy
used as of December 31, 2017 was as follows:
(in thousands) Fair Value Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
DB Plan:
Guaranteed Interest Accounts $ 3,215 $ - $ - $ 3,215
Total Assets in the Fair Value Hierarchy 3,215 - - 3,215
Investments measured at net asset value” 14,551 - - -
DB Plan Investments, at Fair Value 17,766 - - 3,215
(continued)
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