Retirement Income Security: Hybrid Pension Plans Merit Further Attention

Abstract

This report was done at the request of the Chicago field office of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. It investigates whether hybrid pensions might be worthy of further investigation by GAO. The authors review characteristics of traditional defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, describe how hybrid plans combine features of both types, and assess hybrid plans? advantages and disadvantages for employers and employees. The report shows how few data on hybrid plans are available and concludes with a call for further study by GAO.