Pension Expense
## Table 0 ##
(A) Effective in 2016, the Company began to measure the service cost and interest cost components of pension expense by applying spot rates along the yield curve to the relevant projected cash flows, as we believe this provides a better measurement of these costs.
The Company has accounted for this as a change in accounting estimate and, accordingly has accounted for it on a prospective basis.
This change does not affect the measurement of the total benefit obligation.2016 vs.  2015 Pension expense, excluding special items, decreased from the prior year due to the adoption of the spot rate approach which reduced service cost and interest cost, the impact from expected return on assets and demographic gains, partially offset by the impact of the adoption of new mortality tables for our major plans.
Special items of $7.3 included pension settlement losses of $6.4, special termination benefits of $2.0, and curtailment gains of $1.1.
These resulted primarily from our recent business restructuring and cost reduction actions.2015 vs.  2014 The decrease in pension expense, excluding special items, was due to the impact from expected return on assets, a 40 bp reduction in the weighted average compensation increase assumption, and lower service cost and interest cost.
The decrease was partially offset by the impact of higher amortization of actuarial losses, which resulted primarily from a 60 bp decrease in weighted average discount rate.
Special items of $35.2 included pension settlement losses of $21.2, special termination benefits of $8.7, and curtailment losses of $5.3.
These resulted primarily from our recent business restructuring and cost reduction actions.2017 Outlook In 2017, pension expense, excluding special items, is estimated to be approximately $70 to $75, an increase of $10 to $15 from 2016, resulting primarily from a decrease in discount rates, offset by favorable asset experience, effects of the Versum spin-off and the adoption of new mortality tables.
Pension settlement losses of $10 to $15 are expected, dependent on the timing of retirements.
In 2017, we expect pension expense to include approximately $164 for amortization of actuarial losses compared to $121 in 2016.
Net actuarial losses of $484 were recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income in 2016, primarily attributable to lower discount rates and improved mortality projections.
Actuarial gains/losses are amortized into pension expense over prospective periods to the extent they are not offset by future gains or losses.
Future changes in the discount rate and actual returns on plan assets different from expected returns would impact the actuarial gains/losses and resulting amortization in years beyond 2017.
During the first quarter of 2017, the Company expects to record a curtailment loss estimated to be $5 to $10 related to employees transferring to Versum.
The loss will be reflected in the results from discontinued operations on the consolidated income statements.
We continue to evaluate opportunities to manage the liabilities associated with our pension plans.
Pension Funding Pension funding includes both contributions to funded plans and benefit payments for unfunded plans, which are primarily non-qualified plans.
With respect to funded plans, our funding policy is that contributions, combined with appreciation and earnings, will be sufficient to pay benefits without creating unnecessary surpluses.
In addition, we make contributions to satisfy all legal funding requirements while managing our capacity to benefit from tax deductions attributable to plan contributions.
With the assistance of third party actuaries, we analyze the liabilities and demographics of each plan, which help guide the level of contributions.
During 2016 and 2015, our cash contributions to funded plans and benefit payments for unfunded plans were $79.3 and $137.5, respectively.
For 2017, cash contributions to defined benefit plans are estimated to be $65 to $85.
The estimate is based on expected contributions to certain international plans and anticipated benefit payments for unfunded plans, which
Item 7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Results of Operations – CNA Financial – (Continued) Favorable net prior year development of $184 million was recorded in 2008, including $164 million of favorable claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development and $20 million of favorable premium development.
Favorable net prior year development of $36 million was recorded in 2007, including $25 million of favorable claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development and $11 million of favorable premium development.
Further information on Specialty Lines Net Prior Year Development for 2008 and 2007 is included in Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under Item 8.
The following table summarizes the gross and net carried reserves for Specialty Lines:
## Table 1 ##
2007 Compared with 2006 Net written premiums for Specialty Lines increased $75 million in 2007 as compared with 2006.
Premiums written were unfavorably impacted by decreased production as compared with the same period in 2006.
The decreased production reflected CNA’s disciplined participation in a competitive market.
This unfavorable impact was more than offset by decreased ceded premiums.
The U. S.  Specialty Lines reinsurance structure was primarily quota share reinsurance through April 2007.
CNA elected not to renew this coverage upon its expiration.
With CNA’s diversification in the previously reinsured lines of business and its management of the gross limits on the business written, CNA did not believe the cost of renewing the program was commensurate with its projected benefit.
Net earned premiums increased $73 million as compared with the same period in 2006, consistent with the increased net premiums written.
Specialty Lines averaged rate decreases of 3.0% for 2007, as compared to decreases of 1.0% for 2006 for the contracts that renewed during those periods.
Retention rates of 83.0% and 85.0% were achieved for those contracts that were up for renewal in each period.
Net income decreased $93 million in 2007 as compared with 2006.
This decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in net realized investment results.
See the Investments section of this MD&A for further discussion of net investment income and net realized investment results.
Net operating income decreased $23 million in 2007 as compared with 2006.
This decrease was primarily driven by decreased current accident year underwriting results and less favorable net prior year development.
These decreases were partially offset by increased net investment income and favorable experience in the warranty line of business.
The combined ratio increased 1.8 points in 2007 as compared with 2006.
The loss ratio increased 2.4 points, primarily due to higher current accident year losses related to the decline in rates and less favorable net prior year development as discussed below.
The expense ratio improved 0.7 points in 2007 as compared with 2006.
This improvement was primarily due to a favorable change in estimate related to dealer profit commissions in the warranty line of business.
Favorable net prior year development of $36 million was recorded in 2007, including $25 million of favorable claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development and $11 million of favorable premium development.
Favorable net prior year development of $66 million, including $61 million of favorable claim and allocated claim adjustment expense reserve development and $5 million of favorable premium development, was recorded in 2006.
Further information on Specialty Lines Net Prior Year Development for 2007 and 2006 is included in Note 9 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included under Item 8.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements Note 16.
Statutory Accounting Practices (Unaudited) – (Continued) policy acquisition costs and the inclusion of net unrealized holding gains or losses in stockholders’ equity relating to certain fixed maturity securities.
CNA’s insurance subsidiaries are domiciled in various jurisdictions.
These subsidiaries prepare statutory financial statements in accordance with accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the respective jurisdictions’ insurance regulators.
Prescribed statutory accounting practices are set forth in a variety of publications of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) as well as state laws, regulations and general administrative rules.
CCC has been granted a permitted practice for one year related to the accounting for its deferred income taxes.
This permitted practice allows CCC to admit a greater portion of its deferred tax assets than what is allowed under the prescribed statutory accounting guidance.
This permitted practice resulted in an approximate $700 million increase in CCC’s statutory surplus at December 31, 2008, the first reporting period for which the permitted practice was effective.
The permitted practice will remain in effect for the first, second and third quarter 2009 reporting periods.
CNA’s ability to pay dividends and other credit obligations is significantly dependent on receipt of dividends from its subsidiaries.
The payment of dividends to CNA by its insurance subsidiaries without prior approval of the insurance department of each subsidiary’s domiciliary jurisdiction is limited by formula.
Dividends in excess of these amounts are subject to prior approval by the respective state insurance departments.
Dividends from CCC are subject to the insurance holding company laws of the State of Illinois, the domiciliary state of CCC.
Under these laws, ordinary dividends, or dividends that do not require prior approval of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation – Division of Insurance (the “Department”), may be paid only from earned surplus, which is calculated by removing unrealized gains from unassigned surplus.
As of December 31, 2008, CCC is in a positive earned surplus position, enabling CCC to pay approximately $100 million of dividend payments during 2009 that would not be subject to the Department’s prior approval.
The actual level of dividends paid in any year is determined after an assessment of available dividend capacity, holding company liquidity and cash needs as well as the impact the dividends will have on the statutory surplus of the applicable insurance company.
CNA’s domestic insurance subsidiaries are subject to risk-based capital requirements.
Risk-based capital is a method developed by the NAIC to determine the minimum amount of statutory capital appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations in consideration of its size and risk profile.
The formula for determining the amount of risk-based capital specifies various factors, weighted based on the perceived degree of risk, which are applied to certain financial balances and financial activity.
The adequacy of a company’s actual capital is evaluated by a comparison to the risk-based capital results, as determined by the formula.
Companies below minimum risk-based capital requirements are classified within certain levels, each of which requires specified corrective action.
As of December 31, 2008 and 2007, all of CNA’s domestic insurance subsidiaries exceeded the minimum risk-based capital requirements.
Preliminary combined statutory capital and surplus and net income, determined in accordance with accounting practices prescribed or permitted by insurance regulatory authorities for the property and casualty and the life insurance subsidiaries, were as follows:
## Table 2 ##
(a) Surplus includes the property and casualty companies’ equity ownership of the life company’s capital and surplus.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements Note 15.
Reinsurance – (Continued) CNA has established an allowance for doubtful accounts on reinsurance receivables related to credit risk.
CNA reviews the allowance quarterly and adjusts the allowance as necessary to reflect changes in estimates of uncollectible balances.
The allowance may also be reduced by write-offs of reinsurance receivable balances.
CNA attempts to mitigate its credit risk related to reinsurance by entering into reinsurance arrangements with reinsurers that have credit ratings above certain levels and by obtaining collateral.
On a limited basis, CNA may enter into reinsurance agreements with reinsurers that are not rated, primarily captive reinsurers.
The primary methods of obtaining collateral are through reinsurance trusts, letters of credit and funds withheld balances.
Such collateral was approximately $3.0 billion and $3.2 billion at December 31, 2016 and 2015.
CNA’s largest recoverables from a single reinsurer, including ceded unearned premium reserves as of December 31, 2016 were approximately $2.4 billion from a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Group, $350 million from the Gateway Rivers Insurance Company and $212 million from subsidiaries of Wilton Re.
These amounts are substantially collaterized.
The recoverable from the Berkshire Hathaway Group includes amounts related to third party reinsurance for which NICO has assumed the credit risk under the terms of the loss portfolio transfer as discussed in Note 8.
The effects of reinsurance on earned premiums are presented in the following table:
## Table 3 ##
Included in the direct and ceded earned premiums for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 are $3.9 billion, $3.3 billion and $2.6 billion related to property business that is 100% reinsured under a significant third party captive program.
The third party captives that participate in this program are affiliated with the non-insurance company policyholders, therefore this program provides a means for the policyholders to self-insure this property risk.
CNA receives and retains a ceding commission.
Long term care premiums are from long duration contracts; property and casualty premiums are from short duration contracts.
Insurance claims and policyholders’ benefits reported on the Consolidated Statements of Income are net of reinsurance recoveries of $3.0 billion, $2.6 billion and $1.4 billion for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, including $2.6 billion, $2.3 billion and $1.5 billion related to the significant third party captive program discussed above.
Reinsurance recoveries in 2014 were unfavorably affected by the commutation of a workers’ compensation reinsurance pool.

<table><tr><td></td><td>2016</td><td>2015</td><td>2014</td></tr><tr><td>Pension expense</td><td>$68.1</td><td>$135.6</td><td>$135.9</td></tr><tr><td>Special terminations, settlements, and curtailments (included above)</td><td>7.3</td><td>35.2</td><td>5.8</td></tr><tr><td>Weighted average discount rate<sup>(A)</sup></td><td>4.1%</td><td>4.0%</td><td>4.6%</td></tr><tr><td>Weighted average expected rate of return on plan assets</td><td>7.5%</td><td>7.4%</td><td>7.7%</td></tr><tr><td>Weighted average expected rate of compensation increase</td><td>3.5%</td><td>3.5%</td><td>3.9%</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td>December 31</td><td>2008</td><td>2007</td></tr><tr><td>(In millions)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Gross Case Reserves</td><td>$2,719</td><td>$2,585</td></tr><tr><td>Gross IBNR Reserves</td><td>5,563</td><td>5,818</td></tr><tr><td>Total Gross Carried Claim and Claim Adjustment Expense Reserves</td><td>$8,282</td><td>$8,403</td></tr><tr><td>Net Case Reserves</td><td>$2,149</td><td>$2,090</td></tr><tr><td>Net IBNR Reserves</td><td>4,694</td><td>4,527</td></tr><tr><td>Total Net Carried Claim and Claim Adjustment Expense Reserves</td><td>$6,843</td><td>$6,617</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td></td><td colspan="2">Statutory Capital and Surplus December 31</td><td colspan="3">Statutory Net Income (Loss) Year Ended December 31</td></tr><tr><td>Unaudited</td><td>2008</td><td>2007</td><td>2008</td><td>2007</td><td>2006</td></tr><tr><td>(In millions)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Property and casualty companies(a)</td><td>$8,002</td><td>$8,511</td><td>$-89</td><td>$575</td><td>$721</td></tr><tr><td>Life company</td><td>487</td><td>471</td><td>-51</td><td>27</td><td>67</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td></td><td> Direct</td><td> Assumed</td><td> Ceded</td><td> Net</td><td> Assumed/ Net%</td></tr><tr><td> (In millions)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Year Ended December 31, 2016</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td> Property and casualty</td><td>$10,400</td><td>$258</td><td>$4,270</td><td>$6,388</td><td> 4.0%</td></tr><tr><td> Long term care</td><td>486</td><td>50</td><td></td><td>536</td><td> 9.3</td></tr><tr><td> Earned premiums</td><td>$10,886</td><td>$308</td><td>$4,270</td><td>$6,924</td><td> 4.4%</td></tr><tr><td>Year Ended December 31, 2015</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Property and casualty</td><td>$9,853</td><td>$274</td><td>$3,754</td><td>$6,373</td><td>4.3%</td></tr><tr><td>Long term care</td><td>498</td><td>50</td><td></td><td>548</td><td>9.1</td></tr><tr><td>Earned premiums</td><td>$10,351</td><td>$324</td><td>$3,754</td><td>$6,921</td><td>4.7%</td></tr><tr><td>Year Ended December 31, 2014</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Property and casualty</td><td>$9,452</td><td>$277</td><td>$3,073</td><td>$6,656</td><td>4.2%</td></tr><tr><td>Long term care</td><td>508</td><td>48</td><td></td><td>556</td><td>8.6</td></tr><tr><td>Earned premiums</td><td>$9,960</td><td>$325</td><td>$3,073</td><td>$7,212</td><td>4.5%</td></tr></table>

Question: considering the years 2015-2016 , what is the decrease observed in the cash contributions to funded plans and benefit payments for unfunded plans?
Answer: -0.42327