This is a review of Alaska’s defined contribution retirement plan (DCR), also referred to as Tier 4, and the Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan (SBS-AP). The comments relate to the efficacy of these plans for employees’ retirement, with an emphasis on public safety employees.
In this analysis, we’ve used the leading best practices from our policy brief, Defined Contribution Plans: Best Practices in Design and Utilization, outlining the gold standard as a measure of the two plans. Alaska’s retirement plans meet best practices in some areas but need some improvement in other areas, as described below.
Summary of Alaska’s Pension Plans
Alaska Defined Contribution