AT&T to Take $10 Billion Pension Charge
AT&T Inc. warned it would record a $10 billion charge for the fourth quarter on an accounting shift related to its pension- and postretirement-benefit plans.
The telecom giant has accrued massive retirement liabilities because of its history stretching back to the days of Ma Bell. Those obligations tend to increase in a low-interest-rate environment because the present value of those future payments rises.