Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund vs Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund (A) and Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) (A) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 94% and 85% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund has a stronger Pension Health Score of 97/100 (A) compared to Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) at 80/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 9.3 percentage points (94.1% vs 84.8%). Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund covers 634,861 participants.
| Metric | Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund | Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 97/100 (A)* | 80/100 (A) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 94.1%* | 84.8% |
| Total Assets | $55.6B | $35.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $59.1B | $41.9B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $3.5B* | $6.4B |
| Participants | 634,861 | 372,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 4.5% | 6.4%* |
| Plan Type | multiemployer | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | low | low |
| Sponsor | Teamsters Central States | State of Iowa |
Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund has a stronger Pension Health Score of 97/100 (A) compared to Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) at 80/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 9.3 percentage points (94.1% vs 84.8%). Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund covers 634,861 participants.