NETHERLANDS - Dutch asset managers are managing an ever-smaller share of local pension assets, APG Group said in its annual report today.

SWITZERLAND - Funding levels of Swiss pension funds were nearly flat in 2010 and funds are now increasing their exposures to higher returning investments to help plug the liability gap.

AUSTRALIA - Northern Trust has appointed Nadia Ivanova to the newly-created role of head of global fund services for Australasia and Vicki Martyn joins Northern Trust as a senior relationship manager.

US - The state of California will pay $170m less in pension contributions to the California Public Employees' Retirement System after employee contributions were increased.

AUSTRALIA - the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has written to superannuation trustees to remind them of the disclosure requirements associated with undertaking mergers and consolidations.

US - Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner said yesterday he suspended investments into two federal pension funds and plans to redeem billions in assets since the US has bumped up against its $14trn debt ceiling.

US - The California Public Employees' Retirement System said it plans to divest from eight companies with ties to Sudan and Iran, removing all investment ties to the troubled countries.

AUSTRALIA - Simple, low-cost financial advice should be incorporated into the MySuper default fund structure offered by superannuation funds to increase members' engagement with their pensions, according to Mercer.

NEW ZEALAND - KiwiSaver funds posted positive returns for the first quarter of 2011, with the meidan KiwiSaver growth fund returning 3.8% and the more conservative default median fund returning 1.6%, according to Mercer's KiwiSaver survey.

Insurer Aon said today Kristi Savacool and Baljit Dail will become the new co-chief executives of Aon Hewitt, replacing Russ Fradin who is leaving the firm to join SunGard.