Most private sector employers do not offer defined benefit pension programs these days given the enormous costs they can impose. In addition, many pension plans currently in existence are severely underfunded, which means retirees drawing benefits – or future retirees planning to do so – may not get what they thought they would. The Teamsters’ Central State Pension Plan is one major pension fund that currently is facing financial difficulty. In fact, the U.S. Treasury Department is launching an effort to “rescue” the plan and now is seeking input from participants on proposed changes – changes that potentially include decreased benefits for members. The Duluth News Tribune recently published an interesting article detailing the rescue efforts.