401(k)/Defined Contribution Research Report
By: Bridget Gainer, Cook County Commissioner
Presented at the Cook County Pension Subcommittee meeting on June 29, 2011.
http://www.bridgetgainer.com/budget-and-best-practices/401%28k%29%20Presentation%20Report.pdf

Wall Street Journal Op-ed: “Why Public Pensions are So Rich”
By: Andrew Biggs & Jason Richwine
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204464404577118440980974530.html

“List of Advantages & Disadvantages for Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Plans”
By: Gabriel, Roeder, and Smith
Gabriel, Roeder, and Smith is a leading provider of actuarial and benefits consulting services that focuses on services to the public sector. Their 2003 paper discusses defined benefit versus defined contribution.
http://www.nasra.org/resources/GRS%20DB%20DC.pdf

“Decisions, Decisions: Retirement Plan Choices for Public Employees and Employers”
By: National Institute on Retirement Securities
2011 Research analysis from the National Institute on Retirement Securities finds that defined benefit pension plans are strongly preferred over 401(k)-type defined contribution individual accounts.
http://www.nirsonline.org/storage/nirs/documents/Decisions%20Decisions/final_decisions_decisions_report.pdf

“Look Before you Leap the unintended consequences of Pension Freezes”
By: National Institute on Retirement Securities
A 2008 research brief by the National Institute on Retirement Securities examines the consequences of freezing a defined benefit plan and moving to a defined contribution plan.
http://www.nirsonline.org/storage/nirs/documents/Pension%20Freeze%20Issue%20Brief.pdf

“A Better Bang for the Buck: The Economic Efficiencies of Defined Benefit Pension Plans”
By: National Institute on Retirement Securities
2008 Research Analysis from the National Institute on Retirement Securities examines the costs of providing the same level of benefit as a defined benefit plan through a defined contribution plan.
http://www.nirsonline.org/storage/nirs/documents/Bang%20for%20the%20Buck%20Report.pdf

“The Top 10 Advantages of Maintaining Defined Benefit Pension Plans”
By: National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems
The National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems published a 2011 report that examines the top 10 reasons to continue providing a defined benefit retirement plan.
http://www.ncpers.org/Files/2011_ncpers_research_series_top_ten.pdf

“Retirement Plan Design Study: Executive Summary”
By: Minnesota Statewide Retirement Systems
The Minnesota State Legislature authorized a study on the impacts of switching their retirement plan from defined benefited to defined contribution.
http://www.mnpera.org/vertical/Sites/%7BCB6D4845-437C-4F52-969E-51305385F40B%7D/uploads/%7B7FC37E01-55AB-453A-B511-5710BDCD23BD%7D.PDF

“Best Practices for Defined Contribution Plans”
By: Government Finance Officers Association
http://www.gfoa.org/downloads/AssetAllocationGuidanceDefinedContributionPlans_BestPractice.pdf

“The Defined Benefit VS. Defined Contribution Debate: the $250 Million Question”
By: Louis W. Kosiba
The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund General Counsel Louis Kosiba issued a memo in 1999 addressing the debate between Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution.
http://www.imrf.org/pubs/db_dc/DB_DCmemo.pdf

“A Comparative Analysis of Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Retirement Plans”
By: Arizona State Retirement System
The Arizona State Retirement System published a 2006 white paper that analyzes the benefits and costs of defined benefit plans versus defined contribution plans.
http://nasra.org/resources/ASRS%20DBDC%20White%20Paper.pdf

“Defined Contribution Retirement Plan Study”
By: Gabriel, Roeder, Smith, & Company
The New Mexico legislature requested analysis on switching their teacher defined benefit plan over to a defined contribution plan. The analysis was conducted by the Actuarial firm Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company and their findings were published in an October 2005 report.
http://nasra.org/resources/New%20Mexico%20ERB-DC.pdf

“Study of Retirement Plan Designs for the State of Colorado”
By: Colorado State Auditor
In 2001, the Colorado General Assembly authorized the State Auditor to conduct a study of potential changes to their retirement system. The study examined the impact of changing from their current retirement plan to an all defined benefit or all defined contribution system.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/OSA/coauditor1.nsf/All/5F3AC8C645174C5087256E30007BC1D8/$FILE/1409%20PERA%20Fin%20FY%2002.pdf