General Electric Pension Plan
corporate plan · GE Aerospace (formerly General Electric) · Stamford, CT
General Electric Pension Plan is essentially fully funded: 91% funding ratio — assets of $20.2B against actuarial liabilities of $22.2B. Fully funded status is the regulatory target most plans aim for; getting there usually requires sustained investment returns plus disciplined sponsor contributions.
General Electric Pension Plan is a corporate pension plan sponsored by GE Aerospace (formerly General Electric) — 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.
General Electric Pension Plan is a large pension plan with $20.2B in assets and 121,730 participants (8,887 active, 97,947 retired). Large plans usually have professional investment management and complex actuarial structures. Participant mix skews toward retirees (97,947 retired vs 8,887 active) — a mature plan paying out more than it accrues. Mature plans need stable investment returns plus sponsor contributions to keep the funded ratio steady; the cash-flow profile is increasingly net-negative. Annual cash flows: $1.2B in sponsor contributions versus $3.5B in benefit payments. Investment performance over the most recent year ran 6.8%, 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 General Electric 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.
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filings and Boston College CRR Public Plans Database.
Funding History
What This Means for You
General Electric Pension Plan is in excellent financial health at 91% funded. This means for every dollar the plan owes in future benefits, it has 91 cents in assets to cover it. This plan is also covered by the PBGC, providing an additional safety net. Participants in this plan have relatively low risk of benefit reductions.
Year-by-Year Funding
| Year | Assets | Liabilities | Funding Ratio | Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $20.2B | $22.2B | 91.0% | $1.2B |
| 2022 | $19.6B | $26.5B | 74.0% | $1.2B |
| 2021 | $19.0B | $24.4B | 78.0% | $1.1B |
| 2020 | $18.4B | $26.3B | 70.0% | $1.1B |
| 2019 | $17.8B | $24.7B | 72.0% | $1.1B |
Frequently Asked Questions
General Electric Pension Plan is 91% funded, meaning it has 91 cents in assets for every dollar in future benefit obligations. This is considered healthy by actuarial standards.
General Electric Pension Plan has 121,730 total participants, including 8,887 active employees and 97,947 retirees currently receiving benefits.
Yes, General Electric Pension Plan is covered by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which provides a backstop if the plan cannot pay benefits. The PBGC risk level is currently "low."
The Pension Health Score (0-100, A-F) measures a pension plan's financial strength based on funding ratio (50%), funding trend over 3 years (30%), and PBGC risk level (20%). Higher scores indicate more secure retirement benefits.
Pension Health Score is calculated from funding ratio, 3-year funding trend, and PBGC risk classification.