Financial Intel Monthly

Lump-sums are decreasing for Chevron employees who wait to commence their pensions lump-sum.  With both short, medium, and long-term rates rising over the last month significantly, the higher average rate will result in lower lump-sums for those retiring in June of 2022. When Chevron employees elect the month they would like to begin their pension, Chevron looks back to the third, fourth, and fifth month's rates to calculate the rates used for the pension disbursement. When interest rates move up or down, your pension lump sum amount will move in an inverse relationship. Through the pandemic, interest rates dropped dramatically which had greatly increased many lump sum payments. This trend culminated in record lows for individuals who commenced their benefits in December of 2020. However, since December 2020, rates have increased, causing a reduction in pension lump-sums.

Should you desire to take your pension as a lump sum, Chevron will use interest rates and your age to calculate your lump sum payment. Your pension is calculated based on your last date of employment and benefit start date. The benefit calculation is a defined benefit based on your years of service and final average pay. These, along with a Social Security Offset are used to determine your single life annuity. All other forms of pension payments are based off of this figure.

Chevron Employees: February 2022 Interest Rates Update

Chevron Pension Lump Sum Calculation:

If you are planning to retire and start your pension in June 2022, Chevron would use the blended rate available through March 2022 (three months prior to your month of retirement). This example shows three months of rates and how they are blended to determine your rates for various segments of your pension.

For a April 2022 pension commencement date, the average of the January 2022, December 2021, and November 2021 rates comprise the blended rate.

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For a March 2022 pension commencement date, the average of December 2021, November 2021, and October 2021 rates comprise the blended rate.

For a February 2022 pension commencement date, the average of November 2021, October 2021, and September 2021 rates comprise the blended rate.

For lump-sum conversions, the annuity is discounted to a present value using the first segment rate for the first five years of expected payments, the second segment rate for the next 15 years of expected payments and the third segment rate for all years of expected payments over 20.

The annuity is discounted based on mortality as well as interest rates, meaning the present value of each monthly payment reduces as the probability of living to receive each payment reduces. The older you are when you commence your pension benefit, the fewer the number of years that will be valued using the third segment rate (20+ years) and, conversely, the younger you are, the greater the number of years that will be valued using the third segment rate.

This methodology essentially means that there will be a unique monthly interest rate (lump-sum conversion factor) for each year and month of birth.

How Do Rate Changes Affect Your Chevron Pension?

Pension pricing is based on interest calculations, which means a slight adjustment in your retirement date may have a significant financial impact on your pension due to changing rates each month.

The blended rates for April are: 1.20 / 2.82 / 3.18. March rates are: 1.02% / 2.73% / 3.11%. February rates are: 0.86% / 2.67% / 3.11%. 

Everything else held equal, a higher interest rate will produce a lower lump sum. The exact changes depend on your specific age, but on average a 1% change in rates can equate to an 8% to 12% change in lump sums. So, on average, a 1% change could increase or decrease your pension lump sum by roughly 10%.

The changes from just May 2021 to April 2022 may account for a 3-5% decrease in lump sums, as the second segment rates have seen a significant increase. Rates now are considerably higher than they were in 2020. For December 2020, the blended rates were 0.54 / 2.26 / 3.06. The April 2022 blended rate is 0.56% higher in the 2nd segment which tends to have the strongest effect. An increase such as this over just the last year may have caused your pension to decrease by about 6%. For someone with a $500,000 lump sum, that could mean a move of as much as $30,000. For a $1,000,000 lump sum, it would be roughly $60,000. Interest rates trended upward for most of 2021, excluding the month of September. If rates increase by 1% you could see a 8 - 12% reduction in your lump-sum. The rates are updated monthly, so you have month to month options to commence your pension once you have retired. You do not have to commence your pension as soon as you retire. You have the option to defer it. Please be aware if you take your pension prior to age 60, there are age penalties and you will not receive 100% of your pension benefit.

Given the current interest rate environment, we highly suggest Chevron employees residing in the US discuss their options with The Retirement Group and allow us to monitor the rates and keep you up to date on the monthly changes. We can provide a complimentary cash flow analysis to show you how various retirement dates may play out.

It is important to remember the pension annuity may be a better fit no matter how attractive the
pension lump sum may be. Every situation is unique, and a cash flow analysis will allow you to
compare all pension options.

To read "What Chevron employees Should Know About NUA" Click Here.

The Retirement Group is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Chevron. We are an independent financial advisory group that focuses on transition planning and lump sum distribution. Neither The Retirement Group or FSC Securities provide tax or legal advice. Please call our office at 800-900-5867 if you have additional questions or need help in the retirement planning process.

Securities through FSC Securities Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC and investment advisory services offered through The Retirement Group, LLC, a registered investment advisor not affiliated with FSC Securities Corporation. Office of Supervisor Jurisdiction: 5414 Oberlin Dr #220, San Diego CA 92121. 800900-5867