Texas › Utilities › 5,000 to 24,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Centerpoint Energy Retirement Plan
Sponsored by Centerpoint Energy, Inc., Houston, TX
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
Centerpoint Energy Retirement Plan is a cash balance pension plan sponsored by Centerpoint Energy, Inc. of Houston, Texas. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 12,081 participants, 4,706 of them active, and net assets of $1.09B.
Net assets came to $90,335 per participant, close to the $87,623 median for defined benefit plans with 5,000 to 24,999 participants and well below the $187,668 median for defined benefit plans in utilities. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $120M for the year ($25,501 per active participant) and benefits paid were $106M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 14 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $3.8M: $315 per participant, well above the same-size median of $232. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $13.7M. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $1.46B in 2009 to $1.09B in 2024 (down 25%), and participants from 21,499 to 12,081 (down 44%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $90,335 | $87,623 | $187,668 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $25,501 | $9,468 | $12,900 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $315 | $232 | $468 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.35% | 0.30% | 0.27% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $1,132 | $396 | $804 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 5,000 to 24,999 participants (651 plans), utilities (175) and all US plans (5,308). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12,081 | $1.09B | $90,335 | $120M | $980K | $3.8M |
| 2023 | 12,513 | $1.06B | $84,604 | $442K | $1.1M | $4.4M |
| 2022 | 12,994 | $1.09B | $84,040 | $51.5M | $966K | $4.7M |
| 2021 | 15,380 | $1.85B | $120,042 | $442K | $728K | $4.2M |
| 2020 | 16,044 | $1.95B | $121,560 | $55.4M | — | $4.8M |
| 2019 | 16,623 | $1.83B | $110,056 | $83.4M | — | $5.5M |
| 2018 | 17,598 | $1.63B | $92,907 | $92.3M | — | $5.3M |
| 2017 | 19,166 | $1.89B | $98,716 | $66.7M | — | $5.8M |
| 2016 | 19,337 | $1.72B | $89,000 | $43.2M | $754K | $6.8M |
| 2015 | 20,355 | $1.70B | $83,398 | $4.1M | $710K | $5.8M |
| 2014 | 21,079 | $1.99B | $94,200 | $39.0M | $646K | $5.9M |
| 2013 | 21,053 | $1.91B | $90,950 | $90.9M | — | $5.5M |
| 2012 | 21,244 | $1.81B | $84,973 | $85.3M | $471K | $6.2M |
| 2011 | 21,381 | $1.61B | $75,103 | $75.8M | — | $5.8M |
| 2010 | 21,396 | $1.59B | $74,527 | $67.8M | — | $5.6M |
| 2009 | 21,499 | $1.46B | $68,068 | $15.8M | — | $5.3M |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$1,058,653,000
- Employer contributions$120,006,000
- Participant contributions$980,000
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$120,986,000
- Total income, including investment results$152,676,000
- Benefits paid$106,316,000
- Administrative expenses$13,675,000
- Total expenses$119,991,000
- Net income$32,685,000
- Net transfers$4,000
- Net assets, end of year$1,091,342,000
Participants
- Active participants4,706
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits3,623
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits2,772
- Total participants, end of year12,081
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alight | Recordkeeping and information management | $1,132,000 | $0 |
| Pacific Investment Management | Investment management | $560,000 | $0 |
| Northern Trust Company | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $462,000 | $0 |
| Legal & General Investments | Investment management | $352,000 | $0 |
| Aon Consulting | Actuarial | $336,000 | $0 |
| Fidelity Institutional Asset Manage | Investment management | $281,000 | $0 |
| Callan LLC | Consulting (general); Consulting (pension) | $129,000 | $0 |
| Wellington Trust Company | Investment management | $123,000 | $0 |
| Bswift | Contract Administrator | $118,000 | $0 |
| Fidelity Institutional Asset Manage | Investment management | $89,000 | $0 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | Contract Administrator | $67,000 | $0 |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors, LP | Investment management | $59,000 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. 2 smaller rows are not shown. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Other administrative expenses$9,848,000
- Investment advisory and management fees$1,593,000
- Recordkeeping fees$1,132,000
- Trustee and custodial fees$462,000
- Actuarial fees$336,000
- Contract administrator fees$219,000
- IQPA audit fees$48,000
- Salaries and allowances$37,000
- Total administrative expenses$13,675,000
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Master trust investment accounts$996M · 91.2%
- Receivables$96.2M · 8.8%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmMcConnell & Jones, LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $10,000,000
- Blackout period during the year—
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1CCash balance or similar plan1ECode section 401(h) arrangement3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 221100: Electric Power Generation, Transmission & Distribution.
Other plans of Centerpoint Energy, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Centerpoint Energy Savings Plan | 11,962 | $2.88B |
Similar plans in Texas
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinder Morgan Retirement Plan B | Kinder Morgan, Inc. | 16,410 | $518M | $31,553 |
| Kinder Morgan Retirement Plan a | Kinder Morgan, Inc. | 8,636 | $1.17B | $135,844 |
| Atmos Energy Corporation Pension Account Plan | Atmos Energy Corporation | 4,129 | $580M | $140,353 |
| Talen Energy Retirement Plan | Talen Energy Supply, LLC | 3,075 | $771M | $250,860 |
| Retirement Income Plan for Employees of El Paso Electric Company | El Paso Electric Company | 2,465 | $278M | $112,787 |
| Dynegy Pension Plan | Vistra Operations Company LLC | 2,279 | $206M | $90,422 |
Defined benefit plans in utilities closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Centerpoint Energy Retirement Plan?
12,081 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 4,706 were active employees, with net assets of $1,091,342,000. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 5,000 to 24,999 participants band, which held 651 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Centerpoint Energy, Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $120,006,000 in employer contributions for the year, which is $25,501 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $9,468 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $3,808,000 in compensation to service provider organisations, $315 per participant or 0.35% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $232 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $13,675,000. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Centerpoint Energy, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Alight, Bswift and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Investment advisory or management: Pacific Investment Management, Legal & General Investments and Fidelity Institutional Asset Manage. Trustee or custodian: Northern Trust Company. The financial statements were audited by McConnell & Jones, LLP. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 10 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 74-0694415, plan 001, received 10 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.