North Carolina Retirement Systems vs Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
North Carolina Retirement Systems (A) and Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund (A) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 87% and 94% 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 North Carolina Retirement Systems at 82/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 7.0 percentage points (94.1% vs 87.1%). Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund covers 634,861 participants.
| Metric | North Carolina Retirement Systems | Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 82/100 (A) | 97/100 (A)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 87.1% | 94.1%* |
| Total Assets | $112.0B | $55.6B |
| Total Liabilities | $128.6B | $59.1B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $16.6B | $3.5B* |
| Participants | 960,000 | 634,861 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.6%* | 4.5% |
| Plan Type | public | multiemployer |
| PBGC Risk Level | low | low |
| Sponsor | State of North Carolina | Teamsters Central States |
Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund has a stronger Pension Health Score of 97/100 (A) compared to North Carolina Retirement Systems at 82/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 7.0 percentage points (94.1% vs 87.1%). Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund covers 634,861 participants.