Studies and Reports

Recently Released

• The Decline in US States' Pension Funding Decelerates, but Reform and Reporting Issues Loom Large, Standard * Poor's, June 2012
• NASRA Issue Brief: Public Pension Plan Investment Return Assumptions, NASRA, June 2012
• The Decline In U.S. States' Pension Funding Decelerates, But Reform and Reporting Issues Loom Large, Standard & Poor's, June 21, 2012
• The Widening Gap Update, Pew Center on the States, June 2012
• The NCPERS 2012 Fund Membership Study, NCPERS, June 2012
• Did the SEC and S&P Let 14 States Destroy Their Pensions?, by Chris Tobe, Stable Value Consultants, June 10, 2012
• NASRA Issue Brief: Cost-of-Living Adjustments, NASRA, June 2012
• Pension Fund Asset Allocation and Liability Discount Rates: Camouflage and Reckless Risk Taking by U.S. Public Plans?, by Alexander Andonov (Maastricht University), Rob Bauer (Maastrict University) and Martijn Cremers (University of Notre Dame), May 1, 2012
• Pensions in Transition: Retirement Plan Changes and Employer Motivations, Towers-Watson, May 2012
• 401(k) Plans: Increased Educational Outreach and Broader Oversight May Help Reduce Plan Fees, GAO, April 2012
• Considerations in Preparing Disclosure in Official Statements Regarding an Issuer's Pension Funding Obligations (Public Defined Benefit Pension Plans), National Association of Bond Lawyers, May 15, 2012
• "GASB Won't Let Me" -- A False Objection to Public Pension Reform, Robert M. Costrell, sponsored by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, May 2012
• GASB Reporting vs. Pension Funding, Keith Brainard response to the Arnold Foundation study, May 2012
• The Funding of State and Local Pensions 2011-2015, Center for Retirement Research, May 2012
• State and Local Governments' Fiscal Outlook: April 2012 Update, by GAO, April 2012
• Update on § 415 Regulations Related to Governmental Defined Benefit Plans, by Gabriel Roeder Smith & Company, April 16, 2012
• Virginia Pension Reforms Are Credit Positive, Moody's Investor Service, April 2012
• Calculating the Cost of Virginia's New Mandatory Retirement Program, by Sookyung Oh and Michael Cassidy, The Commonwealth Institute, April 2012

Economic Indicators

• Compensation
• Employment
• Pension Fund Assets

Standing Reports and Databases

• Public Fund Survey - A standing, online compendium of public retirement systems, featuring summary and detailed information about 100 systems and 126 of the plans they oversee. Sponsored by NASRA and NCTR. login required
• Wisconsin Comparative Study - A biannual report prepared by the Wisconsin Legislative Council featuring key data from 85 statewide public retirement systems plus the systems sponsored by the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. The report contains separate chapters on normal and early retirement provisions, contribution rates, vesting requirements, retirement benefit calculations, cost-of-living adjustments, and actuarial and accounting methods.
• Wilshire Report on State Retirement Systems - Published annually by Wilshire Associates
• Public Plans Database - Center for Retirement Research and Center for State and Local Government Excellence
• Characteristics of Large Public Education Plans National Education Association

Reports by Organization

• Center for Retirement Research
• Center for State & Local Government Excellence
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• Pew Center on the States
• Reports by Federal Agencies

Reports by Topic

• Credit Effects Research
• Costs of Switching From a DB to a DC Plan
• Divestment
• Defined Contribution Plans
• Economic Benefits of Public Pensions
• Governance and Legislation
• Government Spending on Public Pensions
• Investment and Funding
• Pensions and Compensation
• Plan Design
• Postemployment Benefit Increases
• Retirement Security
• Sustainability of Public Pensions
• Taxation of Public Pensions
• Pension Programs for Teachers and Educational Employees

State Studies

Arizona

• Defined Contribution Study Committee, Created by the 55th Arizona State Legislature, 2011
• A Comparative Analysis of Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Retirement Plans, September 22, 2006, by Paul Matson and Susanne Dobel, Arizona State Retirement System

California

• More Pension Math: Funded Status, Benefits, and Spending Trends for California's Largest Independent Public Employee Pension Plans, Evan Storms and Joe Nation, Ph.D., Stanford Institute Economic Policy Research, February 21, 2012
• Legislative Analysis of the Proposed California Constitutional Initiative Concerning Public Employee Pensions December 22, 2011, California Legislative Analyst's Office
• California Public Sector Retirement Programs and Compensation: A financial analysis prepared for The California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility July 2011, Capitol Matrix Consulting
• Vested Rights of CalPERS Members July 2011, addresses the issue of vested pension rights for CalPERS members
• Public Pensions for Retirement Security February 24, 2011, The Little Hoover Commission

Colorado

• Study of Retirement Plan Designs for the State of Colorado, November 20, 2001, by the State of Colorado, Office of the State Auditor

Florida

• Protecting Florida’s Cities Through Pension Reform, January 2011, Randall G. Holcombe

Illinois

• Is Welching on Public Pension Promises an Option for Illinois? An Analysis of Article XIII, Section 5 of the Illinois Constitution, By Eric M. Madair

Kansas

• Kansas PERS Study Commission Final Report, Kansas Legislative Research Department, December 2011
• Cost Study for the "Stacked Hybrid" Plan, October 24, 2011, Cavanaugh McDonald Consulting

Louisiana

• Actuarial Analysis of the cost impact of switching new state hires to a cash balance plan, Actuarial Services Department of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, June 1, 2012
• Actuarial Analysis of the cost impact of switching new state hires to a cash balance plan, Buck Consultants, April 12, 2012

Maryland

• Public Employees' and Retirees' Benefit Sustainability Commission 2010 Interim Report, January 2011, Public Employees' and Retirees' Benefit Sustainability Commission

Massachusetts

• Final Report of the Special Commission to Study the Massachusetts Contributory Retirement Systems, October 7, 2009, The Special Commission to Study the Massachusetts Contributory Retirement Systems

Minnesota

• Retirement Plan Design Study Minnesota Statewide Retirement Systems, June 1, 2011

Montana

• Pensions: A State and Local Challenge by Stephanie Morrison, Ph.D, for the Montana Legislative Finance Committee, September 30, 2011

Nebraska

• Benefit Review Study of the Nebraska Retirement Systems, August 2000, by Buck Consultants

Nevada

• Public Employees Retirement System of the State of Nevada: Analysis and Comparison of Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Retirement Plans, December 14, 2010, The Segal Group, Inc.

New Mexico

• http://www.nasra.org/resources/New%20Mexico%20ERB-DC.pdf Defined Contribution Study for the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board], October 14, 2005, by Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company

New York

• A Better Bang for New York City's Buck: An Efficiency Comparison of Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Contribution Retirement Savings Plans, National Institute on Retirement Security and Pension Trustee Advisors, October 2011

North Carolina

• Final Report to Boards of Trustees of the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System and the Local Government Employees' Retirement System, December 2, 2010, North Carolina Future of Retirement Study Commission

Oklahoma

• Interim Study: State pension systems to a defined contribution plan for new hires, requested by Senator Patrick Anderson
• A Study of a Deferred Retirement Option (Senate Bill 1134), Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, 2004

Pennyslvania

• Special Report: Divestment and Pennsylvania's Public Employee Retirement System Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public Employee Retirement Commission, October 2007

Rhode Island

• Pension Reform Measures and the Sustainability of the Employees’ Retirement System, City of Providence Subcommittee on Pension Sustainability, April 19, 2012
• Truth in Numbers: The Security and Sustainability of Rhode Island's Retirement System Office of the Rhode Island State Treasurer, June 2011

Tennessee

• New Retirement Plan Options for Tennessee’s Political Subdivisions January 2012, by The PFM Group

Texas

• Analysis of Defined Benefit Plan Efficiency - TEXPERS July 25, 2011, Prepared by Pension Trustee Advisors for the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems

Virginia

• Virginia Pension Reforms Are Credit Positive, Moody's Investor Service, April 2012
• Calculating the Cost of Virginia's New Mandatory Retirement Program, by Sookyung Oh and Michael Cassidy, The Commonwealth Institute, April 2012
• Review of Retirement Benefits for State and Local Government Employees: Report to the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia, Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, December 2011
• Pension Plan Reform in Virginia, August 2011, by Robert C. Carlson, The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Washington

• Pension Funding and Reform for Washington State Washington State Treasurer James L. McIntire, September 13, 2010

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Comparative Study, Wisconsin Legislative Council, December 2011
• Constitutional Contracts Clause Challenges in Public Pension Litigation, April 8, 2011, by Paul M. Secunda, University of Wisconsin Law School; Marquette University - Law School