Launch Of Enhanced Public Plans Data Website

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Center for State and Local Government Excellence, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, and the National Association of State Retirement Administrators announced the launch today of the enhanced Public Plans Data website (PPD) at www.publicplansdata.org. The PPD aggregates data to provide policymakers and others a comprehensive view of public sector retirement plans.

Available on the site are:

• "Quick Facts," including  asset allocations and funded ratios at the national, state, and plan levels;
• Individual and aggregated data on more than 150 state and local pension plans; and
• An interactive browser which allows users to explore data from a variety of tables.

"We know that retirement benefits are important in attracting and retaining talented state and local government workers. Having access to reliable data about pension plans also helps inform state and local government leaders as they make decisions about those benefits," said Elizabeth Kellar, president and chief executive officer of the Center for State and Local Government Excellence. "We hope these resources will promote an informed dialogue about workforce goals and retirement security issues."

The PPD is a comprehensive database of public retirement plan data on employee and employer contributions, benefits, investment income, plan membership, and plan provisions. Users can access Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) and actuarial valuations (AVs) for every plan included in the database. In addition, an application programming interface (API) allows users to connect directly to the PPD database and receive updates as they are made. 

PPD is an enhanced and expanded platform of the former Public Plans Database- which launched in 2007.

Public Plans Data can be found at http://www.publicplansdata.org and on Twitter @PublicPlansData.

About the Public Plans Data Partnership

The PPD is developed and maintained through a collaboration of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (CRR), the Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE), and the National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA).

CRR and SLGE established a partnership in 2007 to:

1. Produce research on state and local pension plans and the retirement prospects of state and local workers;
2. Disseminate research findings broadly; and
3. Develop and make available comprehensive data on state and local pensions and retiree health benefits.

These data, covering both defined benefit and contribution plans, are updated regularly from information available in the most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) and actuarial valuations (AVs) and have been expanded over time.

The National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA), which has been collecting and sharing public plan data since 2001 through the Public Fund Survey, supports the partnership by providing review and assistance on the development of data models, validation of data, and development and administration of surveys.

About the Center for State and Local Government Excellence
The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) helps state and local governments become knowledgeable and competitive employers so they can attract and retain a talented and committed workforce. SLGE identifies best practices and conducts research on competitive employment practices, workforce development, pensions, retiree health security, and financial planning. SLGE also brings state and local leaders together with respected researchers and features the latest demographic data on the aging workforce, research studies, and news on health care, recruitment, and succession planning on its website, www.slge.org.

About the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College
The mission of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College is to produce first-class research and forge a strong link with public and private sector decision-makers in order to strengthen the nation's retirement income security. To achieve this mission, CRR conducts a wide variety of research projects, transmits new findings to a broad audience, trains new scholars, and broadens access to valuable data sources. Since its inception in 1998, CRR has established a reputation as an authoritative source of information on all major aspects of the retirement income debate. To learn more, visit crr.bc.edu.

About the National Association of State Retirement Administrators
The National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA) is a non-profit association whose members are the directors of the nation's state, territorial, and largest statewide public retirement systems. NASRA members oversee retirement systems that hold more than two-thirds of the $3.7 trillion held in trust for 15 million working and 8 million retired employees of state and local government. To learn more, visit nasra.org.

SOURCE Center for State and Local Government Excellence

Related Links

http://www.slge.org