Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund vs Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund (C) and Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 64% and 72% 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
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 68/100 (B) compared to Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund at 56/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 8.2 percentage points (72.3% vs 64.1%). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) covers 328,000 participants.
| Metric | Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund | Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 56/100 (C) | 68/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 64.1% | 72.3%* |
| Total Assets | $21.0B | $24.8B |
| Total Liabilities | $32.8B* | $34.3B |
| Unfunded Liability | $11.8B | $9.5B* |
| Participants | 430,000 | 328,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5% | 5.9%* |
| Plan Type | multiemployer | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | moderate |
| Sponsor | United Association (UA) | State of Kansas |
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 68/100 (B) compared to Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund at 56/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 8.2 percentage points (72.3% vs 64.1%). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) covers 328,000 participants.