MEXICO - The country's state pension fund (afores) posted average returns of 5.5% for the month of January, according to data released by the Comisión Nacional del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (CONSAR).

FRANCE - President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that negotiations on pension reform will start in April in a bid to rein in France's ballooning pension deficit.

FRANCE - Investment returns at the Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) are up 15% for 2009 on the back of the strong rebound in the equity markets.

SPAIN - The two major Spanish trade unions are organising over 100 public protests against the government's plan to raise the retirement age by two years.

HUNGARY - Hungary must make further progress on reforming its pension system to reduce cost pressures on its national budget, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said.

NETHERLANDS - Over two-thirds of Dutch workers are either completely or partially unaware of how much they will earn when they retire, a survey by the government-sponsored platform for financial awareness CentiQ revealed.

CANADA - The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) reported a growth in assets of C$100m (US$94.7m) for the last three months of 2009 as cash outflow to pay benefits offset strong investment returns.

US - Two US pension funds have sued Morgan Stanley accusing the bank's board of breaches of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment for failing to administer its compensation plans in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

ROMANIA - The Romanian government has approved a draft law to reform state pensions in a bid to reduce the pressure pensions exert on its national budget.

Rick Di Mascio, chairman of the T-charter has announced he will not be putting himself up for re-election.