the containerboard group ( a division of tenneco packaging inc. ) notes to combined financial statements ( continued ) april 11 , 1999 5 . pension and other benefit plans ( continued ) the funded status of the group 2019s allocation of defined benefit plans , excluding the retirement plan , reconciles with amounts recognized in the 1998 statements of assets and liabilities and interdivision account as follows ( in thousands ) : actuarial present value at september 30 , 1998 2014 .

Table: vested benefit obligation $ -98512 ( 98512 ) accumulated benefit obligation -108716 ( 108716 ) projected benefit obligation $ -108716 ( 108716 ) plan assets at fair value at september 30 1998 146579 unrecognized transition liability -1092 ( 1092 ) unrecognized net gain -14623 ( 14623 ) unrecognized prior service cost 13455 prepaid pension cost at december 31 1998 $ 35603

the weighted average discount rate used in determining the actuarial present value of the benefit obligations was 7.00% ( 7.00 % ) for the year ended december 31 , 1998 . the weighted average expected long-term rate of return on plan assets was 10% ( 10 % ) for 1998 . middle management employees participate in a variety of incentive compensation plans . these plans provide for incentive payments based on the achievement of certain targeted operating results and other specific business goals . the targeted operating results are determined each year by senior management of packaging . the amounts charged to expense for these plans were $ 1599000 for the period ended april 11 , 1999 . in june , 1992 , tenneco initiated an employee stock purchase plan ( 2018 2018espp 2019 2019 ) . the plan allows u.s . and canadian employees of the group to purchase tenneco inc . common stock through payroll deductions at a 15% ( 15 % ) discount . each year , an employee in the plan may purchase shares with a discounted value not to exceed $ 21250 . the weighted average fair value of the employee purchase right , which was estimated using the black-scholes option pricing model and the assumptions described below except that the average life of each purchase right was assumed to be 90 days , was $ 6.31 for the period ended december 31 , 1998 . the espp was terminated as of september 30 , 1996 . tenneco adopted a new employee stock purchase plan effective april 1 , 1997 . under the respective espps , tenneco sold 36883 shares to group employees for the period ended april 11 , 1999 . in december , 1996 , tenneco adopted the 1996 stock ownership plan , which permits the granting of a variety of awards , including common stock , restricted stock , performance units , stock appreciation rights , and stock options to officers and employees of tenneco . tenneco can issue up to 17000000 shares of common stock under this plan , which will terminate december 31 , 2001 . the april 11 , 1999 , fair market value of the options granted was calculated using tenneco 2019s stock price at the grant date and multiplying the amount by the historical percentage of past black-scholes pricing values fair value ( approximately 25% ( 25 % ) ) . the fair value of each stock option issued by tenneco to the group in prior periods was estimated on the date of grant using the black-sholes option pricing model using the following ranges of weighted average assumptions for grants during the past three .

Question: what is the difference between the weighted average expected long-term rate of return on plan assets for 1998 and the weighted average discount rate used in determining the actuarial present value of the benefit obligations in 1998?
Answer: 3%
Calculation: subtract(10%, 7.00%)
Explanation: any negative in this equation lays a liability on the company . so long term returns have to be monitored .