Clicking one of the Parameters buttons for a decrement assumption leads you to additional parameters to specify decrements from active status (caused by retirement, termination, mortality or disability, respectively) and/or mortality applicable to inactive records and to active records after decrement from active status. When there are two or more applicable rate tables for a decrement, these parameters specify how the rates or probabilities vary, such as by calendar year of decrement (that is, the calendar year of the anniversary of the valuation date in the year of decrement) or according to the contents of a coded database field. For active decrement rates, there are also parameters (discussed below) to specify the service basis for table lookups if the decrement rates vary by service.

If the "<rates by coded field/calendar year>" option (not available for mortality rates under the "PPA" law selection in U.S. qualified mode) is selected, to indicate that the: 

• Rates vary by the contents of a coded field on the database, that is, different tables should be used for different groups of records, identified by values of a coded database field (e.g., Division), check the Coded database field box and then select the field from the list of all coded fields unhidden in the current Project. A Database Code column will appear in the grid below: for each code value, there is a row in the grid for the applicable Rate Table. For each database code, select the desired rate table library entry.

• Rates vary by calendar year of decrement (i.e., the calendar year of the anniversary of the valuation date in the year of decrement), check the Calendar years box and enter (in the text box below), for all rates that you will specify, the first calendar year to be associated with each particular Rate Table. For example, if the rates will be one particular table through 2008, another for 2009, yet another for all years 2010 through 2014 inclusive and one last table in 2015 and later years, then enter “2009 - 2010, 2015” or "2009,2010,2015" in the text box. Two columns, From and To, will appear in the grid below, and rows appear according to the “breakdown by year” indicated by the text box entries. In our example, rows appear for years through 2008, for 2009, for 2010 through 2014 and for years 2015 and later, so that you may enter the rate table associated with each set of years. For each year, select the desired rate table library entry.

• rates vary by both a coded field on the database and the calendar year of decrement, combine the instructions in the two bullets above; the grid below will populate with both the Database Code column and the From/To columns. Specify the desired Rate Table library entry for each combination of code value and decrement year. Click the button to access the relevant decrement rate table library, where you can create new tables or modify existing ones.

For mortality rates under the "PPA" law selection in U.S. qualified mode, if the "<rates by coded database field>" option is selected, to indicate that the Rates vary by the contents of a Coded database field, select the field from the list of all coded fields unhidden in the current Project. A Database Code column will appear in the grid below: for each code value, there is a row in the grid for the applicable Rate Table. For each database code, select the desired rate table library entry.  Click the  button to access the mortality rate table library, where you can create new tables or modify existing ones. 

If retirement probabilities are 100% at a specified assumed retirement age, select either the Constant option, to specify the same age for all active records, or the Database Field option, if the age at which the rate is 1 differs among the active records. If a constant age is assumed, an integer value between 15 and 100 inclusive is required. If the age varies by plan participant, select the database field containing the participant’s assumed retirement age from the list of numeric fields unhidden in the current Project. Note that if the field contains a fractional age, it will be rounded, with rounded ages outside the range of 15 to 100 disallowed.

If retirement probabilities vary based on age/service as measured on the valuation date, first select the Retirement rates table to be used for participants not meeting any criteria specified in the spreadsheet that follows. Next enter in the spreadsheet the applicable age, service and/or points (age + service) requirements necessary to be eligible for an alternative retirement rate table, and select the associated table(s). The spreadsheet should be completed so that the least restrictive requirement is at the top and the most restrictive requirement is at the bottom because if a participant meets multiple criteria, ProVal will use the last one met (as indicated by the order the criteria are entered in the spreadsheet), where ”last” means the bottommost row. To determine eligibility, ProVal will round the participant’s age on the valuation date and truncate the participant’s service as of the valuation date (so that only completed years of service are used) and compare the resulting values to the age and service entered in the spreadsheet. Age and service will be evaluated on each future valuation date in a forecast.

Example: It is assumed that 80% of participants retire at age 60 with 10 years of service and the remainder retire at age 65, which means that 80% of participants over age 60 with 10 years of service on the valuation date are also assumed to retire on the valuation date and the remainder at age 65. The Retirement rates table selected should be the retirement rate table applicable to participants who are under age 61 or have less than 10 years of service; the retirement rates in this table should be 80% at age 60, 0% for ages 61-64 and 100% at age 65. The entries in the first (top) row of the spreadsheet should be Age (Rounded) 61, Service (Completed Years) 10, and a table selected in the Retirement Rates column that specifies 80% retirement at age 61, 0% for ages 62-64 and 100% at 65. The entries in the next row should be 62 and 10 with a retirement rate table that specifies 80% retirement at age 62, 0% for age 63-64 and 100% at 65. Continue this way until the last row has eligibility of age 65, 10 years of service and a retirement rate table with a 100% rate at age 65. Click the button to access the Retirement Rate Table Library, where you can create new tables or modify existing ones.

If decrement probabilities vary by benefit, a spreadsheet displays containing a column of Benefit Definitions. For each benefit, click its row in the Rate Table column and then click the arrow that appears. Choose the applicable rate table from the list; alternately, if the benefit is received no matter which rate table causes the decrement, select <total decrement> from the list instead. Click the  button to access the relevant decrement rate table library, where you can create new tables or modify existing ones. Note that at the bottom of the dialog box, below the table service parameters (described later in this article), you may select a Plan Filter (in German mode, a Promise Filter), from the dropdown list, to reduce the list of possible choices to those Benefit Definitions associated with a particular Plan Definition (or in German mode a particular Benefit Promise). For more information, see the Technical Reference article Decrements: rates by benefit.

The Table service based on parameter defines service for purposes of lookups of service-based decrement rates for the applicable contingency (active decrement): retirement, termination, death or disability.  (For tables without a service dimension, this parameter is ignored.) The preset (or default) option, "<rounded attained age – rounded hire age>", is displayed; this option indicates that service will be computed as the difference between rounded attained age (as of the decrement date) and rounded hire age. (See also the discussion of the date of hire, or hire age, parameter under the Active Data topic of the Census Specifications command.) Alternatively, table service may be based on a database Field selected from the list of database fields unhidden in the current Project. You may refer to a date field from which to measure service or to a numeric field containing service as of the valuation date. Note that selecting, by name, the date of hire field of the Active Data topic of the Census Specifications might not produce the same result as the preset option. This is a consequence of the fact that if a database field is selected, truncated service based on the field is used. That is, if you select the date of hire field by name, ProVal subtracts the hire date from the decrement date and then truncates. The result may be lookup service of one year more or less than the difference between rounded ages at the valuation date and at hire. For more information about table lookups, see the discussion of table interface. As another alternative, if you need fractional service (e.g., hours-related service) or rounding (e.g., completed years), select a Service Definition. The button accesses the Service Definitions library, in which you may create and modify Service Definitions.

The Replacement ratio salary based on parameter defines salary for calculating replacement ratios for the retirement contingency.  (For tables other than replacement ratio types this parameter is ignored.) You may select to use the valuation salary (as specified in the the Active Data topic of the Census Specifications command) or select an Alternative salary.  The salary used in the replacement ratio will reflect any applicable salary limits and then be reduced by any employee contributions.