Ford Motor Co.'s funding for its US pension funds had increased in 2012, as decreasing rates of interest offset the investment gains achieved in the year.

According to its annual report filed with the SEC, at 2012 year's end, the pension plan for the automaker had a funding ratio of 81.3%, comprising of US$42.4 billion in assets and US$52.1 billion in liabilities. In 2011, the funding ratio was at 80.7%, with assets amounting to US$39.4 billion and liabilities at US$48.8 billion.

Ford last year settled US$1.2 billion of its pension plan obligations through a novel program it unveiled in April of 2011. The plan offered nearly 90,000 salaried retirees in the United States as well as former employees the option to convert their monthly pensions into a lump sum cash payment.

Many companies have followed suit after seeing the success of Ford's program, where about a dozen other companies have instituted an annuity to lump sum benefit program.