“For the past 12 years, Milliman has conducted an annual study of the 100 largest defined benefit pension plans sponsored by U.S. public companies. The Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index projects the funded status for pension plans included in our study, reflecting the impact of market returns and interest rate changes on pension funded status, utilizing the actual reported asset values, liabilities, and asset allocations of the companies’ pension plans…Pension liabilities of the 100 largest corporate defined benefit pension plans increased by $43 billion in October while the assets backing those pension promises dropped by $2 billion, bringing the Milliman 100 PFI funded status deficit to $498 billion and a 72.6% funded ratio, down from 74.5% at the end of September. The erosion in funded status follows funded status improvements in both August and September. October’s funded status decline was primarily due to a decrease in the corporate bond interest rates that are the benchmarks used to value pension liabilities.”