Defined Benefit (Pension) · DOL Form 5500 · 2024

Discover Financial Services Pension Plan

Data updated 2026-08-11

$483M
Total assets
2,591
Participants
97th
Percentile by assets
$186,344
Avg per participant
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Official DOL plan name: Discover Financial Services Pension Plan · Sponsored by Discover Financial Services · Illinois · Finance & Insurance

$483M in assets, 2,591 participants

Discover Financial Services's Discover Financial Services Pension Plan reported $483M in total assets and 2,591 participants in its 2024 DOL Form 5500 filing, ranking in the 97th 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.

  • 97th percentile by assets (of 123,622 plans)
  • #8,110 in Finance & Insurance (8,549 peers)

Coverage in Illinois

Discover Financial Services Pension Plan covers 2,591 participants in Illinois, 3.3x the typical Illinois plan (state average ~779 per filing). Assets: $483M.

$483M
total plan assets (2024 EOY)
2,591
covered participants
97th
percentile by assets (of 123,622 plans)
$186,344
avg assets per participant

The plan reported a net loss of $36M for the year, a single-year figure driven by markets and benefit payments, not a measure of plan health.

What changed between DOL Form 5500 filings

plan year 2023 → plan year 2024

  • Discover Financial Services Pension Plan reported net income fell from $21M in the plan year 2023 filing to -$36M in the plan year 2024 filing.
  • Discover Financial Services Pension Plan end-of-year assets fell from $518M in the plan year 2023 filing to $483M in the plan year 2024 filing.
  • Discover Financial Services Pension Plan reported participants fell from 2,739 in the plan year 2023 filing to 2,591 in the plan year 2024 filing.

See the national 2023→2024 release diff →

State

Participants vs Illinois filers

In Illinois, the average filing covers about 779 participants across 5,745 plans. Discover Financial Services Pension Plan reports 2,591 participants - 3.3x that state average ($483M EOY assets).

Illinois filing particulars

Total Assets (Beginning of Year)$518M
Net Assets (End of Year)$482M
Net Income-$36M
Employer EIN362517428
Plan Effective Date2007-01-01
Filing StatusFILING RECEIVED

Sponsor Plan History (Discover Financial Services)

$2.5B$3B$3.5B$4B 202220232024 $2.73B $3.7B ▲ +35.5%
Total plan assets by year, all Discover Financial Services plans on file
Year Plans Participants Total Assets
2022 2 18,939 $2.7B
2023 2 22,274 $3.3B
2024 2 22,935 $3.7B

Nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans in Illinois

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

Discover Financial Services Pension Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Illinois, assets vs. participants

Discover Financial Services Pension Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Illinois, assets vs. participants Scatter plot of 6 data points. 01000020000300004000050000 -200204060 Total assets ($B) Participants Discover Financial S…Central States, Sout…State Farm Insurance…GE Healthcare Pensio…Abbott Laboratories …United Food & Commer…
Discover Financial Services Pension Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Illinois, assets vs. participants

Similar-Sized Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans Nationally

Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states closest to Discover Financial Services Pension Plan by total assets, not by location.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Discover Financial Services Pension Plan assets move in 2024?
Discover Financial Services Pension Plan pulled back noticeably - down 6.8% during 2024, from $518M to $483M. Reported net income was -$36M.
How have Discover Financial Services plan assets changed over time?
Across 3 plan years on file (2022-2024), Discover Financial Services's sponsor-wide assets grew 35.1%, from $2.7B to $3.7B.
Where does Discover Financial Services Pension Plan rank by assets among Form 5500 filers?
Discover Financial Services Pension Plan ranks in the 97th percentile by end-of-year assets among 123,622 plans that reported assets for plan year 2024 (in the top 5% of all filed plans by assets).
Which Defined Benefit (Pension) plans are similar in size to Discover Financial Services Pension Plan?
Among Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states, the closest by assets is Employees Retirement Plan of Hajoca Corporation in PA ($483M, 5,106 participants).

Next read for Discover Financial Services Pension Plan

Filing takeaways

Ways to act on Discover Financial Services Pension Plan's numbers.

  • By total assets, Discover Financial Services Pension Plan ranks in the top 5% of all filed plans by assets. See the largest plans
  • Compare it side-by-side against 3 similar Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in Illinois. Compare plans
  • Discover Financial Services's sponsor-wide assets have grown 35.1% since 2022 across 3 plan years on file. More Finance & Insurance plans