What are the GASB requirements for reporting investment held for the purpose of serving government?

All investment income, including changes in the fair value of investments, should be recognized as revenue in the operating statement (or other statement of activities).6 When identified separately as an element of investment income, the change in the fair value of investments should be captioned net increase (decrease) in the fair value of investments.7 Realized gains and losses should not be displayed separately from the net increase (decrease) in the fair value of investments in the financial statements, except that realized gains and losses may be separately displayed in the separate reports of governmental external investment pools. 

Separate or stand-alone annual financial reports for governmental external investment pools should include a statement of net assets and a statement of changes in net assets prepared on the economic resources measurement focus and the accrual basis ofaccounting. A statement of cash flows is not required to be presented. All applicable GASB pronouncements should be applied in those reports. In addition, the financial reports of governmental external investment pools should disclose:

a. A brief description of any regulatory oversight (including whether the pool is registered with the SEC as an investment company)

b. The frequency of determining the fair value of investments

c. The method used to determine participants’ shares sold and redeemed and whether that method differs from the method used to report investments

d. Whether the pool sponsor has provided or obtained any legally binding guarantees during the period to support the value of shares

e. The extent of involuntary participation in the pool, if any10

f. A summary of the fair value, the carrying amount (if different from fair value), the number of shares or the principal amount, ranges of interest rates, and maturity dates of each major investment classification.

GASB 45, or GASB Statement 45, is an accounting and financial reporting provision requiring government employers to measure and report the liabilities associated with other (than pension) postemployment benefits (or OPEB). Reported OPEBs may include post-retirement medical, pharmacy, dental, vision, life, long-term disability and long-term care benefits that are not associated with a pension plan. Government employers required to comply with GASB 45 include all states, towns, education boards, water districts, mosquito districts, public schools and all other government entities that offer OPEB and report under GASB.

GASB 45 was instigated by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) in July 2004 because of the growing concern over the potential magnitude of government employer obligations for post-employment benefits. GASB 45 will:

1. Recognize the cost of OPEB benefits in the period when services are received.
2. Provide information about the actuarial liabilities for the promised benefits.
3. Provide information useful in assessing potential demands on future cash flows.

GASB 45 applies to the financial statements issued by government employers that offer OPEB and that are subject to GASB accounting standards. GASB 45 does not apply to private employers or trusts that are established in order to pre-fund OPEB benefits and for trusts that are used as conduits to pay OPEB benefits.

GASB 45 requires the following disclosures on financial statements:

1. Information about the OPEBs: what are the benefits, who is eligible for the benefits, how many employees and retirees are covered, and so forth.
2. The actuarially determined liability for OPEB benefits and the assets (if any) that are available to offset the liability; also information about the actuarial methods and assumptions that were used to calculate the liability.
3. The portion of the liability that must be reported as an annual accounting expense on the employer’s financial statements, and a cumulative accounting of the extent to which the plan sponsor actually makes contributions to offset its annual expense.