The Estimated Benefit Calculation determines benefits based on the provided plan rules and the member’s estimated decrement (e.g. termination) and commencement dates.
Name can be a phrase of any length. All characters are permissible. Include key information about the calculation that you are running.
The Populate button allows you to fill in the Estimated Benefit Calculation inputs using information from a Final Benefit Calculation or Dates/Age/Service Calculation within the current Project. Topics that can be populated are Name, Data, Decrement Type, Decrement Date, Commencement Date(s)/Ages, Plan Definition, Census Specifications, Projection Assumptions, Output Definition, and the Calculation Results display settings (such as the last table that was displayed).
The Data section offers two alternative methods of providing the participant’s data: either a database or an XML document. You may also review and modify the data prior to executing the calculation.
If you select the From Database radio button, Linkage selects an entry from the Database Linkage library that describes the database and how to access the desired data. When using a database, the Person ID is the identifying number or code that will be used to select the data from a database. This number or code is contained in the field on the database that is specified as Person ID in the database linkage.
If you select the From XML radio button, Linkage selects an entry from the XML Database Linkage library that defines how the data is represented in the XML document. When using XML, a File name must be entered that identifies the XML document. If no path is specified, the file is assumed to be in the client directory. Click the
button to navigate to a particular folder and file. If the folder is the client directory, the file name will be displayed without a path.
The data review split button
allows you to review the data before the calculation has been run. The language on the button is dynamic and indicates the state of the data. The default behavior is to refresh the data, but the ProAdmin.ini file [CONFIG} setting RunWithSavedData can be used to change the default to use saved data when available. If you select this button, the Data Review dialog(s) will be presented. You may scroll through and make changes as desired. If you select Apply Defaults, the Census Specifications Data Defaults will be applied and changes will be displayed for review. Manual data elements that have been modified will be highlighted in blue for review. Clicking the OK button will then save any data changes.
The Populate calculation and override items on load or refresh checkbox allows you to fill in the calculation inputs by extracting them from the XML file based on the input Key Field tags identified in the XML Database Linkage. If this box is checked and data is being loaded or refreshed from an XML file, the Decrement Type, Decrement Date, Commencement Date(s) and Override salary inflation assumption and cash balance interest crediting rate items will be extracted from the XML file and ghosted on the dialog box.
The Calculation section allows selection of the participant’s decrement type as well as the decrement/termination and commencement date(s) or age(s).
Decrement Type allows you to identify which Benefit Definitions should be evaluated based on their "contingency initiating benefits." The default selection, All, will evaluate all of the Benefit Definitions associated with the selected Plan Definition. Select Term./Retirement to evaluate only Benefit Definitions with Retirement or Termination as the contingency; select Death to evaluate only Benefit Definitions with Death as the contingency; or select Disability to evaluate only Benefit Definitions with disability as the contingency. When reviewing results, keep in mind that retirement contingencies supersede termination; therefore, if All or Term./Retirement is selected as the Decrement Type, and the participant is eligible for both retirement and termination Benefit Definitions within the Plan Definition, only the Benefit Definitions with a contingency of retirement will be shown.
If you select the One Decrement date radio button, enter the decrement (e.g. termination) date in the box below and any combination of Commencement Date(s) / Age(s) in the spreadsheet box. There is no limit to the number of dates and/or ages that you may enter. The two columns are independent of each other and every date and age entered is considered (except for those that have already passed).If you select the Multiple decrement/commencement dates radio button, enter any number of Decrement /Commencement: Date(s) / Age(s) in the spreadsheet box. ProAdmin assumes commencement on the day of decrement (e.g. termination). There is no limit to the number of dates and/or ages that you enter. The two columns are independent of each other and every date and age entered is considered (except for those that have already passed).
After the successful completion of a calculation, any calculated dates identified as commencement dates will be displayed.
The Assumptions section allows selection of various required and optional components of the calculation:
Plan Definition selects an entry from the Plan Definitions library that specifies the plan rules and formulas that will be used to determine the member’s benefit.
Census Specifications selects an entry from the Census Specifications library that interprets your census data to determine the member’s benefit.
Projection Assumptions selects an entry from the Projection Assumptions library to define how data from the last reported data date through the decrement date are determined.
If checked, the Override salary inflation assumptions with box indicates that the value entered (e.g., 3.5 for 3.5%) should be used as an override to the salary inflation entry contained in the selected projection assumptions.
If checked, the Override cash balance crediting rate with box indicates that the value entered (e.g., 5 for 5%) should be used as an override to the Interest Rate Table parameters in the selected Projection Assumptions . Note that the percentage entered only overrides the basic rate from a table; it has no impact if a constant crediting rate is specified for the benefit formula component. Also, this override is applied before any date-based overrides, minimums, maximums or age- based rate adjustments specified in the benefit formula component.
Although not required to run a calculation, Output Definition selects an entry from the Output Definition library that defines output items for ProAdmin to provide such as dates, ages, service, benefit components, salaries for final average earnings, etc..
The run split button 
allows you to select which data to use and run the calculation. The language on the button is dynamic and indicates the state of the data and calculation. The default behavior is to refresh the data, but the ProAdmin.ini file [CONFIG} setting RunWithSavedData can be used to change the default to use saved data when available.
Once the calculation completes, a message box displays indicating whether the calculation was successful. You can print the processing messages contained in the box by clicking on the Print button, or they are always available at a later time. After you click on the OK button, the next display will depend on whether the calculation is an initial run or a rerun. If it's an initial run, the Calculation Results will be displayed. If it's a rerun, ProAdmin will display any changes between the prior and the current calculation results. You can print or save these results to file if desired. Once you click the Close button on the changes, the Calculation Results will be displayed. The Calculation Results consolidated view includes a Calculation Worksheet, Summary Results, Output Definition Results, Processing Messages, Inputs and Detailed Results.
In the case of calculations that have not or can not be run (due to either system or user-defined errors), the Calculation Results will display the inputs to the calculation, as well as Processing Messages.