Your pension fund healthy? Who knows?

[tmm99]

Well, it looks like some pension funds are in HUGE trouble..
"This Is Going To Be A National Crisis" - One Of The Largest U.S. Pension Funds Set To Cut Retiree Benefits | Zero Hedge

 

[Calico]

23 years military. If my pension isn't safe then none of them are. Did you all fund my pension by April 18th? Hope so. Good luck to you all.

I made my contribution to it on 4/18! Don't spend it all in one place!

Thank you for your service.

 

[ClassOf2010]

This thread made me look up Pennsylvania's latest pension numbers which are for the end of 2015.
The bad news is that the acc. funded % is 58% and the market funded % is 56%, down from last year's 61%.
The good news is that they passed a law in 2010 to try and get the unfunded liabilities back to a more normal level. This year PA is contributing 29.5% of payroll to the retirement fund instead of the required 4.25%. This percentage will increase for the next 2 years before it starts to drop. So at least they have a method of addressing the shortfall. I also noticed that it was 110% funded in 2007 but by 2009 it was only 70% funded. Apparently it was mostly caused by the great recession of 2008 although the years of no employer funding by Ed Rendell didn't help. Employees contribute 6.25% annually.

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[whatnot]

Just read DH Pension Funding notices. The Funding Target Attainment % is 101.55% with Adjusted Interest Rates & 80.42% without Adjusted Interest Rates.
It is invested 100% in Master Trust Investment Accounts, with a 60% Equity and 40% fixed income.
I have no idea if this is good, bad or just ok? Since we are anticipating approx. $40,000 a year beginning in two years when we retire - I would appreciate some feedback on what the above means. Thank you in advance for any guidance.

 

[Focus]

Just read DH Pension Funding notices. The Funding Target Attainment % is 101.55% with Adjusted Interest Rates & 80.42% without Adjusted Interest Rates.
It is invested 100% in Master Trust Investment Accounts, with a 60% Equity and 40% fixed income.
I have no idea if this is good, bad or just ok? Since we are anticipating approx. $40,000 a year beginning in two years when we retire - I would appreciate some feedback on what the above means. Thank you in advance for any guidance.

Note the quote in my first post about what appears to be the best way to look at a plan's status.

I'm still unsure, though, about what would be considered a relatively safe percentage, if there is such a thing.