Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund vs State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund (C) and State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) (D) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 64% and 44% 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
Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund has a stronger Pension Health Score of 56/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 20.0 percentage points (64.1% vs 44.1%). Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund covers 430,000 participants.
| Metric | Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund | State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 56/100 (C)* | 42/100 (D) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 64.1%* | 44.1% |
| Total Assets | $21.0B | $22.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $32.8B* | $51.0B |
| Unfunded Liability | $11.8B* | $28.5B |
| Participants | 430,000 | 218,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5%* | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | multiemployer | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | critical |
| Sponsor | United Association (UA) | State of Illinois |
Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund has a stronger Pension Health Score of 56/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 20.0 percentage points (64.1% vs 44.1%). Plumbers & Pipefitters National Pension Fund covers 430,000 participants.