"A higher average discount rate lowered liabilities for the 100 largest U.S. corporate defined benefit plans in 2018, but that funding advantage was mostly offset by negative returns for plans with a reporting date of Dec. 31 ... The average return on plan assets for the 100 largest plans plummeted to -3.53% from 12.27% one year earlier, while the average return for plans with a reporting date of Dec. 31 was -4.6%. The aggregate fair value of assets dropped 6.5%[.]"  MORE >>