Public pension plan reforms help improve finances.

• Position: Brief article

New fact sheets from the Center for State and Local Government Excellence offer updates on the results of pension plan reforms made by five state and local governments--Gwinnett County, Georgia; Houston, Texas; and the states of Iowa, Oregon, and Vermont--since the center's original report, Strengthening State and Local Government Finances: Lessons for Negotiating Public Pension Plan Reforms (released in September 2011).The updated results include:

* Gwinnett County added new investment options for defined contribution plan members.

* Houston's funded ratio has declined since 2008, but the city expects to pay its full actuarially required contribution by 2015.

* Iowa reduced its normal costs and unfunded liabilities through strong investment performance, increased...