ExxonMobil Pension Plan

ExxonMobil Pension Plan is overfunded: 114% funding ratio — assets ($11.4B) exceed actuarial liabilities ($10.0B). Overfunded plans are unusual in U.S. pension data; most either took advantage of strong investment returns over multiple years or carry the surplus from a closed/frozen plan.

ExxonMobil Pension Plan is a corporate pension plan sponsored by ExxonMobil — a single-employer defined-benefit plan governed by ERISA and insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Corporate plans peaked in U.S. usage in the 1980s and have been in steady decline since, mostly replaced by 401(k) plans. The plan remains active — accruing new benefits for current employees and accepting new participants. Among private-sector single-employer plans, the active status is increasingly rare as employers freeze accruals while continuing to fund existing obligations; public-sector plans are more often still actively accruing.

ExxonMobil Pension Plan is among the larger U.S. pension plans by asset base ($11.4B). The participant pool of 61,475 divides into 22,227 actives and 32,919 retirees, a mix that shapes both cash-flow profile and investment-horizon choices. The participant mix runs roughly even between 22,227 active workers and 32,919 retirees — a balanced demographic profile that gives the plan time to compound investment returns before payouts dominate cash flow. Annual cash flows: $500M in sponsor contributions versus $1.8B in benefit payments. Investment performance over the most recent year ran 7.4%, against the plan's assumed long-term return of 5.5%.

On PBGC risk classification: low — the plan's funded status and solvency trajectory are favorable enough that PBGC intervention is not on the near-term horizon. Corporate ERISA plans like ExxonMobil Pension Plan carry PBGC insurance, which guarantees retiree benefits up to a federally-set maximum even if the sponsor defaults. The guarantee is meaningful but capped — high earners may see benefit haircuts in a termination scenario.