Note 6
Pension Benefits

GE and its affiliates sponsor a number of pension plans. Principal pension plans are discussed below; other pension plans are not significant individually or in the aggregate.

Principal pension plans are the GE Pension Plan and the GE Supplementary Pension Plan.

The GE Pension Plan covers substantially all GE employees and 65% of GECS employees in the United States. Generally, benefits are based on the greater of a formula recognizing career earnings or a formula recognizing length of service and final average earnings. Benefit provisions are subject to collective bargaining. At the end of 1995, the GE Pension Plan covered approximately 462,000 participants, including 134,000 employees, 147,000 former employees with vested rights to future benefits, and 181,000 retirees and beneficiaries receiving benefits.

The GE Supplementary Pension Plan is an unfunded plan providing supplementary retirement benefits primarily to higher-level, longer-service U.S. employees.

Details of income for principal pension plans follow.

Pension plan income

(In millions)                           1995          1994          1993
________________________________________________________________________                                        
                                        
Actual return on plan assets         $ 5,439       $   316       $ 3,221
Unrecognized portion of return        (3,087)        1,951        (1,066)
Service cost for benefits earned (a)    (469)         (496)         (452)
Interest cost on benefit obligation   (1,580)       (1,491)       (1,486)
Amortization                             394           294           352
________________________________________________________________________

Total pension plan income            $   697       $   574       $   569

(a) Net of employee contributions.

Actual return on trust assets in 1995 was 21.2%, compared with the 9.5% assumed return on such assets. The effect of this higher return will be recognized in future years.

The 1993 gain on transfer of discontinued Aerospace operations included a pretax pension plan curtailment/settlement loss of $125 million.

Funding policy for the GE Pension Plan is to contribute amounts sufficient to meet minimum funding requirements as set forth in employee benefit and tax laws plus such additional amounts as GE may determine to be appropriate. GE has not made contributions since 1987 because the fully funded status of the GE Pension Plan precludes current tax deduction and because any Company contribution would require payment of annual excise taxes.

Funded status of pension plans

December 31 (In millions)                   1995          1994
______________________________________________________________                                      
                                      
Market-related value of assets           $27,795       $25,441
Projected benefit obligation              23,119        19,334

The market-related value of pension assets recognizes market appreciation or depreciation in the portfolio over five years, a method that reduces the short-term impact of market fluctuations.

Plan assets are held in trust and consist mainly of common stock and fixed-income investments. GE common stock represents about 3% of trust assets.

An analysis of amounts shown in the Statement of Financial Position is shown below.

Prepaid pension asset

December 31 (In millions)                   1995          1994
______________________________________________________________                                             
                                             
Fair value of trust assets              $ 30,200      $ 26,166
Projected benefit obligation             (23,119)      (19,334)

Assets in excess of obligation             7,081         6,832
Add (deduct) unamortized balances
  SFAS No. 87 transition gain               (769)         (923)
  Experience gains                        (2,127)       (2,548)
  Plan amendments                            523           602
Pension liability                            564           526
______________________________________________________________

Prepaid pension asset                   $  5,272      $  4,489

The accumulated benefit obligation was $22,052 million and $18,430 million at year-end 1995 and 1994, respectively; the vested benefit obligation was approximately equal to the accumulated benefit obligation at the end of both years.

Actuarial assumptions and techniques used to determine costs and benefit obligations for principal pension plans follow.

Actuarial assumptions

December 31                                 1995          1994
______________________________________________________________                               
                               
Discount rate                                7.0%          8.5%
Compensation increases                       4.0           5.5
Return on assets for the year                9.5           9.5

Experience gains and losses, as well as the effects of changes in actuarial assumptions and plan provisions, are amortized over employees' average future service period.