Duke Energy · employee benefits & retirement

A career powering others. A retirement built around you.

Your savings plan, any pension benefit, and family coverage serve different purposes. At Duke Energy, the useful starting point is understanding how your own employment history connects them—not assuming every employee has the same package.

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Public-source overview, not a plan summary. RPC does not imply sponsorship, affiliation, custody, or access to employer systems. Benefits depend on individual eligibility. Duke Energy’s applicable plan documents and administrators control your benefits.

Start with the savings ledger

Three sources of contributions. Different rules.

The Retirement Savings Plan details below come from Duke Energy’s SPD effective January 1, 2024, reviewed October 13, 2026. They are not presented as verified 2026 terms. Check subsequent amendments and your current account materials before acting.

Your payroll

Before-tax, Roth, and after-tax are separate decisions.

The RSP/401(k) SPD describes all three contribution types. Their tax treatment, matching eligibility, and withdrawal rules differ. It also describes Roth in-plan conversions and automatic conversion of eligible after-tax contributions. A conversion can create taxable income; it is not simply another name for a Roth payroll contribution.

Review: contribution elections, current limits, conversion settings, and how those choices fit with your taxable portfolio.

Company match

A payroll match with its own eligibility lane.

The 2024 SPD generally describes a dollar-for-dollar match on eligible before-tax and/or Roth contributions up to 6% of eligible pay. Specified legacy Midwest union employees earning benefits under a traditional pension program have different formulas. The document also describes a make-whole matching feature with year-end employment conditions. The general formula should not be applied automatically to every employee.

Review: your employee classification, eligible pay definition, payroll timing, and the match credited to your account.

Employer retirement contribution

Not the same as a match—and not for every pension participant.

The same SPD describes a separate 4% employer retirement contribution for employees who are not active participants in a company pension plan. Enrollment is not required to receive this contribution when eligible, but investment elections still matter. Service vesting applies to these amounts. Do not assume the match and this contribution both apply to your situation.

Review: pension participation, employer-contribution eligibility, vesting service, and the investment destination of automatic contributions.

Source: Duke Energy Retirement Savings Plan SPD — effective January 1, 2024 ↗

A separate pension conversation

A legacy benefit is personal to your service history.

Duke Energy’s Legacy Pension Plan SPD, as of January 1, 2021, describes a frozen plan closed to new participants. It covers specified transferred benefits from earlier Duke, Cinergy, and Florida Bargaining arrangements. It is not a statement that every current Duke Energy employee has a legacy pension.

A cash-balance pension amount is a bookkeeping measure of a promised benefit, not an investment account you manage like a 401(k). Confirm the named plan, formula, and administrator estimate before combining it with your savings balance.

Legacy Pension Plan SPD — as of January 1, 2021 ↗

  1. Establish the benefit.

    Request your plan component, credited service, vesting, and an estimate for the retirement dates you are actually considering.

  2. Compare the payment forms.

    Where your component offers them, compare single-life income, survivor protection, and a lump sum. Payment options and consent rules vary; interest-rate assumptions can affect conversion values.

  3. Design the income around it.

    Place any confirmed pension alongside Social Security, savings withdrawals, and household spending. A lump sum shifts ongoing investment and withdrawal decisions to you; neither choice is universally better.

Protect the years around retirement

Coverage, family time, and company stock also belong in the plan.

Health & household protection

Separate active coverage from retirement coverage.

Duke Energy’s official benefits overview describes medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage, plus well-being and time-off programs. These support different needs from retirement savings. Before leaving employment, verify when your active coverage ends, what continuation or retiree options you qualify for, and the cost for family members.

Work & family

Leave benefits can change a household’s cash-flow needs.

The company describes paid parental leave and other family-support programs. Eligibility, service requirements, and coordination with sick, disability, and vacation benefits matter. Use your own benefits statement rather than assuming the same leave package applies across every job or employee group.

Investment exposure

Look beyond the account’s total balance.

The RSP SPD addresses Duke Energy company-stock holdings and stock-distribution choices. If your account contains company stock—or you hold separate equity awards—review the combined exposure, cost basis, and applicable restrictions. Consult a qualified tax professional before stock distributions or rollovers; not every employee holds stock or receives equity awards.

Explore company-stock decisions ↗

Sources: Duke Energy official benefits overview ↗ · 2024 RSP SPD ↗

A Duke Energy conversation

Bring the statements. Start with your situation.

Your RSP statement, contribution settings, any pension estimate, coverage information, and company-stock records can turn a general benefits conversation into a useful planning discussion. RPC provides financial planning and investment guidance, not legal or tax advice; coordinate specialist questions with the appropriate professional.

Schedule a conversation ↗