Pension Funds

Organization

Retirement funds that are the ultimate equity holders in many commercial real estate deals, putting them at risk of massive write-downs and potentially requiring a government solution.


First Mentioned

1/4/2026, 3:45:36 AM

Last Updated

1/4/2026, 3:48:07 AM

Research Retrieved

1/4/2026, 3:48:07 AM

Summary

Pension funds, also known as superannuation funds, are institutional organizations that manage investment assets to provide retirement income for participants. They represent the largest category of institutional investors globally, with the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund being the largest public entity at $2.57 trillion in assets. While historically dominant in stock and private markets, these funds are currently navigating financial challenges due to a rolling real estate crisis in the commercial office sector, which has forced some to manage losses alongside regional banks. In the United States, private sector funds are primarily regulated under ERISA and insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Alternative Name

    Superannuation funds

  • US Insurance Body

    Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

  • Largest Public Fund

    U.S. Social Security Trust Fund ($2.57 trillion in assets)

  • Global Assets (2012)

    $33.9 trillion

  • Primary US Regulator

    Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

  • Governing Legislation

    Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

  • Top 300 Collective Assets

    $6 trillion

  • Projected Global Assets (2020)

    Over $56 trillion

Timeline
  • Inception date associated with NAICS industry classification for pension funds. (Source: Wikidata)

    1997-01-01

  • Global pension fund assets reached an estimated $33.9 trillion. (Source: Wikipedia)

    2012-12-31

  • Global pension fund assets were projected to surpass $56 trillion. (Source: Wikipedia)

    2020-12-31

  • Pension funds identified as being under financial strain due to the distressed commercial office market and rolling real estate crisis. (Source: Document fa6f8fa4-15ac-4405-9c29-3a4f4cfa393c)

    2024-02-01

Pension fund

A pension fund, also known as a superannuation fund in some countries, is any program, fund, or scheme which provides retirement income. The U.S. Government's Social Security Trust Fund, which oversees $2.57 trillion in assets, is the world's largest public pension fund. Pension funds typically have large amounts of money to invest and are the major investors in listed and private companies. They are especially important to the stock market where large institutional investors dominate. The largest 300 pension funds collectively hold about USD$6 trillion in assets. In 2012, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that pension funds worldwide hold over $33.9 trillion in assets (and were expected to grow to more than $56 trillion by 2020), the largest for any category of institutional investor ahead of mutual funds, insurance companies, currency reserves, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, or private equity.

Web Search Results
  • Investor's Guide to Pension Fund Investment Strategies

    For other employers that view the pension plan as a key piece of their employee benefit strategy, managing the costs and risks associated with the plan is a top priority. We believe that investment policies for pension plans should be customized with an understanding of each plan’s circumstances and situation, ideally after analyzing and comparing various alternatives through a robust asset-liability study. Read our paper for a deeper understanding of how today’s pension landscape affects liability, asset, and risk management strategies. Corporations can alleviate pension liability risk by customizing an appropriate investment strategy based on the plan’s characteristics and circumstances. Utilizing these findings to lay down a strategic foundation should help corporations define and set strategies such as liability-driven investing, asset-liability modeling, and a de-risking glide path. Institutional investors approach the de-risking glide path as a valuable strategy to protect a pension plan and its progress. Businesses can optimize corporate pension fund asset allocations by utilizing strategies and techniques like liability-driven investing, asset-liability modeling, and/or a de-risking glidepath.

  • Understanding Pension Funds: Function, Regulation, and ...

    Private pensions are regulated under ERISA and backed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which insures certain benefits if a plan fails. Private pension plans offered by corporations or other employers seldom have a cost-of-living escalator to adjust for inflation, so the benefits they pay can decline in purchasing power over the years. Whereas many pensions use 1% in their formulas, the nation’s largest pension plan, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), pays 2% in many instances.2 In that case, if an employee had 35 years of service and the average of their five highest-earning years was $50,000, could receive $35,000 annually ($2916.67 per month). The PBGC acts as a pension insurance fund: Employers pay the PBGC an annual premium for each participant, and the PBGC guarantees that employees will receive retirement and other benefits if the pension fails and cannot be paid.

  • Types of retirement plans | Internal Revenue Service

    An official website of the United States government. Here's how you know. A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**. A **lock** () or **https://** means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. - ## Access your tax information with an IRS account. ## File. * Governments and tax-exempt bonds. * Apply for an Employer ID Number (EIN). * Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN). ## Pay. * Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). ## Credits & Deductions. * Clean Energy and Vehicle Credits. ## Forms. * Form W-9 and Certification"). * Fake IRS email or message. # Types of retirement plans. 403(b) plans tax-sheltered annuity plans"). SIMPLE IRA plans (Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees). SEP plans") (Simplified Employee Pension). SARSEP plans") (Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension). Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)"). 457 plans deferred compensation plans"). Help with choosing a retirement plan.

  • Understanding pensions

    So, what is a pension? If you've worked for more than one company long enough to become vested in multiple pension plans, you can receive more than one pension payment. To be precise, PBGC also uses the terms "defined benefit pension" and "defined benefit plan" to refer to your pension. While the legal definition of "pension plan" includes both defined benefits and defined contributions, people most often compare defined contribution 401(k) plans *to* defined benefit pensions.). PBGC works to ensure that pension plans are adequately funded and we back the pension plans of most private (non-governmental) employers: If your employer cannot continue to sponsor your pension plan, we step in and pay promised benefits, up to legal limits. If PBGC has stepped in and now provides you a pension, you can search for your PBGC-trusteed pension plan on our website. So, what is a pension? When people say "pension" they mean a defined benefit owed to a retiree.

  • Retirement Plans Benefits and Savings | U.S. Department of Labor

    Retirement Plans Benefits and Savings | U.S. Department of Labor. * Retirement Plans, Benefits and Savings. * Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). * Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM). * Retirement Plans Benefits and Savings. * A pension plan is an employee benefit plan established or maintained by an employer or by an employee organization (such as a union), or both, that provides retirement income or defers income until termination of covered employment or beyond. * The Employee Benefits Security Administration. * The Employee Benefits Security Administration of the Department of Labor is responsible for administering and enforcing the provisions of Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ERISA covers most private sector pension plans. One of EBSA's responsibilities is to provide consumer information on pension plans, and compliance assistance for employers, plan service providers, and others to help them comply with ERISA. * ERISA provides protections for participants and beneficiaries in employee benefit plans, such as access to plan information.

Location Data

SBI Pension Funds, 1904, 19th Floor, B-Wing, Parinee Crescenzo, Avenue 3, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, H/E Ward, Zone 3, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra, 400051, India

foundation

Coordinates: 19.0611654, 72.8683412

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