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Underfunded Pension Plan

Pension plan whose assets are insufficient to cover the value of promised retirement benefits under current assumptions.

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An underfunded pension plan is a pension plan whose assets are insufficient to cover the value of promised retirement benefits under current actuarial and financial assumptions.

It matters because underfunding exposes workers, retirees, employers, and sometimes governments to higher contribution pressure, benefit risk, and fiscal stress.

  • Pension Funding Gap

  • Pension Liability

  • Funded Pension Plan

  • Pension Benefit Obligation (PBO)")

Revised on Monday, May 18, 2026