It's nice to know Indiana is better managed fiscally than most states. But we don't shine in every category. When it comes to how well our state pensions are funded, we are in the bottom 10 of all states, funded at just 63 percent.
According to 2009 data from Boston College's public plans database (which contains the most recent data available), state public-employee pension programs are underfunded by a total of $708 billion. (Numbers from the Pew Center on the States are slightly different, as they're based on 2008 data; they estimate that the U.S. state pension system is underfunded by $452 billion.)
Only New York and Wisconsin have fully funded plans. Delaware, North Carolina, Washington, South Dakota and Tennessee are at 90 percent or above. The worst states are West Virginia (50 percent), Oklahoma (55), Illinois (58) and New Hampshire (58).
