For now, these changes mostly affect early retirees with relatively generous pensions.

But provisions affecting future retirees can be changed.

Cuomo administration officials say the fund, which holds $38 billion, is so well financed that a reduction in contributions would not affect retirees.

Tax laws affecting retirees were already complicated, and with new provisions in effect for 1998 returns, the situation is even more complex.

He says any changes would not affect current retirees and people nearing retirement.

Other options include increasing Social Security payroll taxes, subjecting more income to the tax, reducing initial benefit payments or cutting cost-of-living increases (which would affect current retirees).

The TRW plan, which does not affect current retirees, took effect Aug. 1 and will affect 50,000 workers when they retire.

Retirement migration is the most commonly discussed example of movement away from large urban areas, and has increasingly affected younger retirees.

Less obvious is precisely how the trend will ultimately affect retirees, who sometimes have their pensions cut in the process.

Nor will the proposed regulations affect retirees who are already receiving pension checks; pension benefits cannot be reduced once they have been earned.