An investment management firm who state officials say mismanaged some retirement accounts is reimbursing a total of almost $6 million to those who lost money, said Brian Andrews, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue.

More than 25,000 anxious public employees and retirees have signed up for credit protection services after a state contractor last year lost personal data on 77,000 current and former state, municipal and school employees, state officials say.

Rising health care costs are battering Alaska's public employee retirement programs at the same time a declining stock market is making those retirements more difficult to pay for, according to new studies.

Some government employees in Alaska may not have as much in their state retirement accounts as they think.

An Alaska judge on Monday said he would not stop the implementation of a new state retirement plan that started this week, after three state labor unions sought an injunction last month.

Gov. Sarah Palin's proposed changes to the troubled Public Employees Retirement System mean some will win and some will lose.Among the winners: The state of Alaska itself, and to a lesser extent the city of Juneau.