I started drawing a pension from IBM late in 2009 in the form of a single life annuity. That is I will receive a fixed monthly payment for the rest of my life. Initially less than half the monthly payment was guaranteed by the government through the PBGC. However as I explained here over time this gradually increased until in 2017 the entire amount became guaranteed. I had thought this meant I had nothing left to worry about (with respect to a default) however this was not quite correct.
Effective January 1, 2023 IBM paid the two largest insurance companies in the United States, MetLife and Prudential, to assume this pension obligation. Each will be responsible for half presumably to spread the risk. In the process the PBGC guarantee disappeared which I had not realized could happen. There are state insurance guarantee funds which will provide some protection for these annuities but it appears that at least in some cases not for the full amount. Although the risk of a default appears quite small it is a little disconcerting to be in any danger when I had thought I was totally safe in this regard.
Realistically the biggest risk to the pension value has been and remains inflation. As of the end 2022 the value of my monthly pension payments as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) has decreased by 27%. So the value has been slowly eroding. Or over the last two years not so slowly as the decrease in value at the end of 2020 was only 17%. Fortunately I have other financial resources. However someone solely supported by a fixed income in retirement is quite vulnerable to inflation over time.
