[Verse 1] Picture workers saving coins throughout their years Building towers made of monthly contributions Companies match dollars, pooling all the shares Creating funds that promise future distributions Assets growing like a garden in the sun While liabilities wait like bills that must be done [Chorus] Assets minus liabilities equals funded status Surplus means we're swimming, deficit means we're stranded When the fund's above one hundred, celebration's warranted When it drops below that line, the danger light gets candid Check the ratio, watch it grow Pension math you need to know [Verse 2] Actuaries calculate what workers will receive Based on salaries and service years completed Present value of those promises they weave Against the investment pot that's been depleted Market swings can shake the balance every day Turning surpluses to gaps in risky ways [Chorus] Assets minus liabilities equals funded status Surplus means we're swimming, deficit means we're stranded When the fund's above one hundred, celebration's warranted When it drops below that line, the danger light gets candid Check the ratio, watch it grow Pension math you need to know [Bridge] Overfunded brings a cushion for the storm Underfunded means contributions need reform Sponsors scramble when the gap begins to widen Trustees watching as their strategies collide [Verse 3] Discount rates and mortality tables shift the scale Lower rates inflate the liability mountain Higher returns help assets tell a better tale But volatile markets aren't a steady fountain Funded status snapshots change with every quarter Teaching patience to each pension plan reporter [Chorus] Assets minus liabilities equals funded status Surplus means we're swimming, deficit means we're stranded When the fund's above one hundred, celebration's warranted When it drops below that line, the danger light gets candid Check the ratio, watch it grow Pension math you need to know [Outro] From surplus heights to deficit valleys deep Funded status tells the tale of promises we keep
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