Kimberly Clark

Pension Overview

If you were hired prior to 1997, you may be eligible for a K-C Pension Plan Benefit. If eligible, you can log in to NetBenefits to view your pension benefit.

Let’s take a look at some of the key elements of
K-C’s Pension Plan.

Need Help?

Call the K-C Benefits Information Line at 800-551-2333 and select the 401(k) & Pension option.


Benefit Amount

The basic amount of your Pension is frozen, but the actual amount you’ll receive is based on certain factors at the time you commence your benefit such as your age, your spouse's age, and your years of Vesting Service.

Remember, regardless of when you begin payment, the benefit remains yours.

Unreduced Benefit Milestones – You can receive an unreduced pension benefit if you meet one the following milestones:

  • Age 65 + 5 years in the Plan
  • Age 62 + 10 years of Vesting Service
  • Age 60 or 61 + 30 years of Vesting Service

Early Retirement Reductions – Although Normal Retirement in the Plan is age 65 with 5 Years of Vesting Service, there are other age and service combinations at which you can commence your reduced benefit, after you leave K-C. The reduced benefit parameters are shown on the chart below:

Vesting Reduction
10+ Years 1/12 of 5% per month from earliest unreduced age (age 60, 61, or 62)
5 to 9 years Actuarial reduction from age 65

Note: Dates vary for bargaining units. Refer to your Collective Bargaining Agreement for more details.

Payment Options

When you retire you have the opportunity to choose from several payment options. However, once benefit payments begin, you can’t change your form of payment, even if your marital status changes. All payment options have an Equivalent Expected Value, which simply means that all options provide the same benefit, within certain actuarial assumptions.

Annuity Payments – Monthly payments

  • Basic – Benefit paid to you for your lifetime only. There is no provision for a survivor benefit.
  • Joint & Survivor – Reduced benefit paid to you for your lifetime and a percentage of your benefit is paid to your spouse for their lifetime, if you should pre-decease your spouse. There are various Joint & Survivor percentage options available.
  • Years Certain & Life – Reduced benefit paid to you for your lifetime and the same monthly amount is paid to your survivor(s) or estate for a specific number of years, if you should die before the end of the “certain” period. There are various Certain & Life options available.
  • Age 62 Level Income Option – This can be added to any of the above options and impacts only your payment. This payment option increases the amount of your retirement benefit paid by the Plan until you reach age 62. At that point, your payment would decrease so that, with your anticipated primary age-62 Social Security benefit as calculated at the time of your retirement, you would have approximately the same amount of total income during retirement.

Lump Sum Payment – One single payment

  • Available at any age once you leave K-C.
  • Calculated using your unreduced monthly basic benefit, early-retirement reduction factor (if applicable) and an actuarial lump-sum factor.
  • You can roll all or a part of your balance into the K-C 401(k) & Profit Sharing Plan (existing balance of $7,000 required), an IRA, or another qualified plan, and
  • Spousal consent is required.

Collect Payment

Benefit Estimate: You can get an estimate of your benefit by visiting NetBenefits > Pension, then clicking Estimate. You’ll be prompted to enter the date you plan to leave K-C and the date you wish to begin receiving pension payments.

Initiation Process: If you want to begin collecting your benefit as soon as you leave K-C, you’ll want to start the process 90 days in advance of your last day of work by visiting NetBenefits > Pension and clicking Collect Your Pension or by contacting Fidelity. You’ll receive a retirement kit in the mail from Fidelity and depending on your marital status and the pension option you elect, you may be able to complete all of the steps online. If notarized spousal consent is required because of the option elected, you need to complete the form and return it by mail.

Fidelity Pension Webinar

Watch the Fidelity pension webinar to

  • understand how the K-C pension plan benefit works,
  • receive an overview of the pension payment options, and
  • learn more about your available resources.

Disclaimer

This site is provided to help Kimberly-Clark (K-C) employees better understand their benefit plans. It does not guarantee coverage under a plan and does not provide complete descriptions of K-C benefit plans. K-C reserves the right to change these plans at any time. In all cases, the formal Plan Documents will govern.

If you are an organized hourly employee covered by these plans, see your HR representative or other person designated at your unit for information on how your plan(s) may differ from the information on this site. You may also call the Benefits Information Line at 800-551-2333. Empyrean representatives are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET and Fidelity representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. From outside the U.S., dial your country’s toll-free AT&T Direct Access number then enter 800-551-2333.