Even if the Government is not concerned about the move from DB to DC, it really should be concerned about the overall reduction in the level of saving for retirement.

BBC: Peter Thompson's speech

In America and Britain the switch from DB to DC schemes in the private sector has left the responsibility with the individual worker, but employees have yet to rise to the challenge.

ECONOMIST: Falling short

Gerrie added the DC to DB rollover option into an employer plan at the request of several members of a professional services firm of about 400 employees.

FORBES: How To Make Your 401(k) Last Forever: The Pension Rollover

This DC account replaces the terminated DB account.

FORBES: PBGC Pension Termination: A Worker's Perspective by Terry O'Rourke, United airlines (December 15, 2007 )

To make this move, you have to work for a company that offers both a 401(k) defined contribution plan and a traditional defined benefit pension plan, and offers the option to roll assets from the former (the DC plan) to the latter (the DB pension).

FORBES: How To Make Your 401(k) Last Forever: The Pension Rollover

Christine Mahoney of Mercer Consulting reckons that the cost of funding a 60-year-old employee in a DB scheme is 12% of payroll, whereas in a DC plan it is just 6%.

ECONOMIST: All hands on deck

Surveys suggest that people in DC plans retire a year or two later than those in DB schemes.

ECONOMIST: All hands on deck

Many companies have abandoned final-salary or defined-benefit (DB) pensions for new staff and switched to defined-contribution (DC) schemes, in large part because of the high cost of the former.

ECONOMIST: How low real interest rates hurt pension funds

Establishment of DC plans (such as 401ks) enabled employers to eliminate or sharply curtail their existing DB plans.

FORBES: PBGC Pension Termination: A Worker's Perspective by Terry O'Rourke, United airlines (December 15, 2007 )