The Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization, has just published a major study on cash balance plans. Here is the abstract from that study, Cash Balance Plans: What Do They Mean for Retirement Security?, authored by Richard W. Johnson and Cori E. Uccello:
The conversion of traditional defined benefit plans to cash balance plans is among the most controversial aspects of pension policy today. Because the controversy has focused on the treatment of older workers, however, the debate has generally ignored the long-term implications for retirement security. In fact, cash balance plans can often provide more retirement security than traditional defined benefit plans or defined contribution plans, especially for workers who change jobs frequently.
Here is the link to the complete study (PDF, 14 pages).
