May 22, 2012: In April, hundreds of thousands of Teamsters received an "Annual Funding Notice" from their Teamster pension plan.

For many, the news was not good. If you are concerned about your pension, read on.

For some—those in the Western Conference of Teamsters Plan—the notice stated that their fund is in the "green zone." But for the majority of others, the notice included the words "red zone" and "critical status." From some Teamsters, such as those in the Local 705 Fund, this is the first year that the fund is in the red zone.

What does it mean?

The answer to this question is complicated. In many cases, it does not mean any changes in benefits. But it could foreshadow such changes in the future.

If you would care to get more information about your fund, and the meaning of the funding notice, get in touch with TDU by calling 313-842-2600, emailing info [at] tdu.org or by clicking here, and indicate in the subject line that you have a pension question.