Boeing Pension Value Plan participants don't have to wait for a special offer: a single lump sum is one of the plan's regular payment forms. That makes the lump sum vs. annuity choice one almost every Boeing participant faces at retirement.
Where the Boeing pension stands
Boeing stopped non-union pension accruals after December 31, 2015, when it moved those employees to company contributions in its savings plan. Interest credits on Pension Value Plan accounts continue, based on the prior November's 30-year Treasury yield with a 5% floor and 10% cap. IAM 751-represented employees moved to a company-funded savings plan in November 2016. The plan uses an account-style formula of benefit credits plus interest credits, and a single lump sum is one of its payment forms.
Retirement eligibility
Normal retirement age is 65, and benefits vest after three years of service. Early retirement is open at 55 with at least 10 years of service or at 62 with at least one year.
Lump sums and insurer transfers
Boeing's 10-K filings don't report a pension annuity transfer to an insurer, so the plan still pays its retirees. A lump sum is a regular payment option in the Pension Value Plan. We found no primary source for any special lump sum window.
How to decide
The annuity pays more in total the longer you live and can protect a spouse if you pick a survivor form. The lump sum gives you control and passes to heirs. Married participants need written spousal consent to waive the survivor annuity. If you take the lump sum, a direct rollover to an IRA avoids the 20% federal withholding that applies to a check paid to you. Compare both with the lump sum vs. annuity calculator before you sign.
What a lump sum is worth in 2026
When a private plan pays a lump sum, it can't be smaller than the IRS 417(e) present value. Plans that use November rates for 2026 apply the November 2025 segment rates: 4.07% for payments in years 1 to 5, 5.15% for years 6 to 20 and 6.01% after that, with the IRS 2026 mortality table from Notice 2025-40. On those inputs, a $3,000 monthly benefit starting at 65 has a minimum lump sum of about $442,500. Your plan's lookback month can differ, so check your Summary Plan Description, and run your own benefit through the lump sum calculator.
PBGC coverage
Benefits still in a private single-employer plan are insured by the PBGC. For a plan that terminates in 2026, PBGC guarantees up to $7,789.77 a month for a straight-life annuity starting at 65, less for earlier starts or survivor forms. Benefits moved to an insurer leave the PBGC system and rely on the insurer and state guaranty associations instead.
Social Security
Boeing jobs paid into Social Security, so the Windfall Elimination Provision never applied to these pensions, and WEP was repealed anyway for benefits payable after December 2023. If the pension covers your basic expenses, delaying Social Security toward 70 raises the one income source that adjusts for inflation. Model it with the Social Security calculator.
The Boeing employer page lists the filings behind every date and dollar figure here.