ALTER TABLE dbo.FinancialStatsLarge ALTER COLUMN AnnualInterestRate DECIMAL(5,2) NOT NULL;
ALTER TABLE dbo.FinancialStatsLarge ALTER COLUMN MonthlyInterestRate  DECIMAL(5,2) NOT NULL;
ALTER TABLE dbo.FinancialStatsLarge ALTER COLUMN AnnualFee DECIMAL(9,2) NOT NULL;
ALTER TABLE dbo.FinancialStatsLarge ALTER COLUMN MonthlyFee DECIMAL(9,2) NOT NULL;
ALTER TABLE dbo.FinancialStatsLarge ALTER COLUMN AnnualCost DECIMAL(9,2) NOT NULL;
ALTER TABLE dbo.FinancialStatsLarge ALTER COLUMN MonthlyCost DECIMAL(9,2) NOT NULL;
GO
ALTER INDEX [PK_FinancialStatsLarge] ON dbo.FinancialStatsLarge REBUILD;

CREATE  TABLE dbo.Immutable 
        (
        row_id  INTEGER NOT NULL
                IDENTITY (1,1)
                CONSTRAINT [PK dbo.Immutable row_id] PRIMARY KEY,
        data    DECIMAL(18,2) NOT NULL);

INSERT  dbo.Immutable (data) VALUES (1.23);

-- Show table page data
DBCC    IND (0, Immutable, 1);

-- Redirect DBCC PAGE output from the error log to the client window
DBCC    TRACEON(3604);

-- Page 14830 in file 1 was the data page on my test run
DBCC    PAGE (0, 1, 15162, 3);

--====================================
-- DBCC PAGE EXTRACT
--====================================
--
-- Slot 0 Offset 0x60 Length 20
--
-- Slot 0 Column 0 Offset 0x4 Length 4 row_id = 1                           
-- Slot 0 Column 1 Offset 0x8 Length 9 data = 1.23                          
--
--====================================

-- Alter the column definition
-- Metadata-only change at this stage
ALTER   TABLE dbo.Immutable
        ALTER COLUMN data DECIMAL(5,2) NOT NULL;

-- Rebuild the clustered index
ALTER   INDEX [PK dbo.Immutable row_id] ON dbo.Immutable REBUILD;

-- The data page allocated will have changed
DBCC    IND (0, Immutable, 1);

-- Data now on page 15163 in file 1 on my test run
DBCC    PAGE (0, 1, 15163, 3);

--====================================
-- DBCC PAGE EXTRACT
--====================================
--
-- Slot 0 Offset 0x60 Length 16
--
-- Slot 0 Column 0 Offset 0x4 Length 4 row_id = 1                           
-- Slot 0 Column 1 Offset 0x8 Length 5 data = 1.23                          
--
-- Notice the record as a whole is 4 bytes shorter
-- and column 1 is *physically* 5 bytes now
--
--====================================

DROP    TABLE dbo.Immutable;
DBCC    TRACEOFF (3604);