Issue brief suggests role for defined contribution plans in the public sector.

• Position: News & Numbers

In recent years, a few states have shifted from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) pension plans, according to an April 2011 issue brief from the Center for State and Local Government Excellence. The brief, "A Role for Defined Contribution Plans in the Public Sector," also notes that many of the new plans are hybrids, which have a slimmed down DB plan and a minimal DC plan, shifting substantial risk to employees.

An alternative hybrid design could offer a full DB plan up to an income...