Defined Benefit (Pension) · DOL Form 5500 · 2022

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan

Data updated 2026-08-25

$54M
Total assets Below avg plan size
139
Participants Small participant base
89th
Percentile by assets National rank
$388,414
Avg per participant High balance/head
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Official DOL plan name: Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan · Sponsored by Northwestern Corporation · Montana · Utilities

$54M in assets, 139 participants

Northwestern Corporation's Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan reported $54M in total assets and 139 participants in its 2022 DOL Form 5500 filing, ranking in the 89th percentile by assets among filed plans. Figures are as reported by the plan sponsor to the Department of Labor, not audited or endorsed by PlainRetire.

  • #420 in Utilities (738 peers)

Utilities sector rank

Within Utilities, Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan ranks #420 of 738 2022 filers by assets (994% of the sector average)-$54M for 139 participants.

#420
in Utilities (738 peers)
-21.5%
assets change YoY
0.5×
vs typical plan assets (national mean)

The plan reported a net loss of $15M for the year, a single-year figure driven by markets and benefit payments, not a measure of plan health.

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan's outsized position by total assets

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan vs every filed plan by assets

End-of-year total assets · plan year 2022 · DOL Form 5500

$53,989,502 Top 11% higher than 89% of 139,123 filed plans

This plan $0 $2,050,000,000 every filed plan with reported assets, bucketed by value

Dashed line + filled bar = this entry, among filed plans.

Source U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings (EBSA) · plan year 2022

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan among mid-size filed plans by headcount

Plan-year 2022 Form 5500 filings with a reported participant count, partitioned by headcount band, not by assets. Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan sits mid-pack in the medium band (139 participants).

Plan-year Form 5500 strip

Filing strip 460172280 · Northwestern Corporation PY 2022 · Defined Benefit (Pension)

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan · $54M · 139 · 89th

  • PCT $54M
  • PCT 139
  • PCT 89th
  • PCT Defined Benefit (Pension)
  • PCT near The Talbots, Inc. Pension Plan
  • PCT ind #420

Stamps derive from this plan's Form 5500 line items (assets, participants, type, EIN, cohort placement) - not a quality rating of the sponsor. Read with Utilities retirement plans → · Plans in Montana →

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan in the asset neighbourhood

Northwestern Corporation Pension PlanNorthwestern Corporation Pen…$54MThe Talbots, Inc. Pension PlanThe Talbots, Inc. Pension Pl…$54MFroedtert Hospital Retirement Plan for Certain Former Milwaukee County EmployeesFroedtert Hospital Retiremen…$54MThe Wooster Brush Company Retirement PlanThe Wooster Brush Company Re…$54MWolf & Company, P.C. Defined Benefit Pension PlanWolf & Company, P.C. Defined…$54M
End-of-year total assets ($M) among Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan and nearest nationwide Defined Benefit (Pension) peers. Source: DOL Form 5500 plan year 2022.

Utilities filing particulars

Total Assets (Beginning of Year)$69M
Net Assets (End of Year)$54M
Net Income-$15M
Employer EIN460172280
Plan Effective Date1940-10-01
Filing StatusFILING RECEIVED

Sponsor Plan History (Northwestern Corporation)

Sponsor-wide plan assets over time

All Northwestern Corporation plans reported in each filing year

Latest sponsor-wide plan assets
$911M 6.581242375535956% vs 2022
2024 filing year
$840M$860M$880M$900M$920M 202220232024 $855M $911M ▲ +6.6%
Year Plans Participants Total Assets
2022 3 2,084 $855M
2023 3 2,047 $869M
2024 3 2,037 $911M

Nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans in Montana

Peer Defined Benefit (Pension) plans, same state, same plan type, ranked by total assets.

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Montana, assets vs. participants Scatter plot of 6 data points. 0100200300400500 -1000100200300400500 Total assets ($M) Participants Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan, Total assets ($M): 53.989502 · Participants: 139Northwestern Corporation Pension PlanNorthwestern Energy Pension Plan, Total assets ($M): 395.349017 · Participants: 451Northwestern Energy Pension PlanSt. Peter's Health Cashplus Retirement Plan, Total assets ($M): 49.437986 · Participants: 310St. Peter's Health Cashplus Retirement PlanRetirement Plan for Employees of Northern Montana Hospital, Total assets ($M): 32.485498 · Participants: 120Retirement Plan for Employees of Northern Montana HospitalPension Plan for Employees of Advanced Silicon Materials, LLC, Total assets ($M): 27.453705 · Participants: 87Pension Plan for Employees of Advanced Silicon Materials, LLCAmerican Chemet Corporation Retirement Income Plan, Total assets ($M): 16.280566 · Participants: 58American Chemet Corporation Retirement Income Plan
Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Montana, assets vs. participants
Compare Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan side-by-side with 3 peers →

Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan's out-of-state Defined Benefit (Pension) peers by assets and headcount

Outside Montana, the nearest Defined Benefit (Pension) by assets is The Talbots, Inc. Pension Plan in MA ($54M); by covered participants it is Ametek, Inc. Monthly Formula Pension Plan in PA (139 participants). Same-state nearby plans are listed separately above.

Similar participant headcount

Nearest other-state filings by covered participants (139 participants); asset peers above are excluded.

DOL Form 5500 plan year 2022. Asset totals can differ widely at the same headcount; neither axis is a quality rating.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan assets move in 2022? ▼
Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan declined sharply - down 21.5% during 2022, from $69M to $54M. Reported net income was -$15M.
How have Northwestern Corporation plan assets changed over time? ▼
Across 3 plan years on file (2022-2024), Northwestern Corporation's sponsor-wide assets grew 6.6%, from $855M to $911M.
Where does Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan rank by assets among Form 5500 filers? ▼
Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan ranks in the 89th percentile by end-of-year assets among 139,126 plans that reported assets for plan year 2022 (in the top quartile of all filed plans by assets).
Which Defined Benefit (Pension) plans are similar in size to Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan? ▼
Among Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states, the closest by assets is The Talbots, Inc. Pension Plan in MA ($54M, 459 participants).
Which Defined Benefit (Pension) plans cover a similar participant headcount to Northwestern Corporation Pension Plan? ▼
Among Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states, the closest by covered participants is Ametek, Inc. Monthly Formula Pension Plan in PA (139 participants, $9M in assets).

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Form 5500 public disclosure dataset. Plan year 2022.

Source: DOL EFAST2 filing system (efast.dol.gov) - original filing retrieval by EIN 460172280.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings (EBSA). See our methodology for details.