Samson Inc. has sponsored a noncontributory, defined benefit pension plan for its employees since 1999. Prior to 2016, cumulative net pension expense recognized equaled cumulative contributions to the plan. Other relevant information about the pension plan on January 1, 2016, is as follows.

1. The company has 200 employees. All these employees are expected to receive benefits under the plan. The average remaining service life per employee is 12 years and assume this is the same for each year.

2. The projected benefit obligation amounted to $5,000,000 and the fair value of pension plan assets was $3,000,000. The market-related asset value was also $3,000,000. Unrecognized prior service costs $2,000,000.

On December 31, 2016, the projected benefit obligation and the accumulated benefit obligation were $4,850,000 and $4,025,000, respectively. The fair value of the pension plan assets amounted to $4,100,000 at the end of the year. A 10% settlement rate and a 10% expected asset return rate were used in the actuarial present value computations in the pension plan. The present value of benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service in 2016 amounted to $200,000. The employers contribution to the plan assets amounted to $775,000 in 2016. This problem assumes no payment of pension benefits.

Required:

(a) Prepare a pension worksheet.

(b) Prepare the journal entry for the pension in 2016.

(c) Determine what would be the amount of the amortization of the net gains or losses in 2016 and 2017.

(d) Prepare the 2016 footnote disclosure for the components of pension expense and reconciliation of the funded status.

(e) Discuss why there continues to be a controversy pertaining to pensions.