DENMARK/UK - Danish pension fund and administration provider ATP has pulled out of the running for the personal accounts administration contract in the UK, PADA has confirmed.

US - CalPERS will be reviewing the fees paid to third party marketers by its money managers after it learned one manager paid over US$50m to a firm owned by a former board member.

GLOBAL - Dutch retirement income systems came first and Australian systems a close second in a new global pension index comparing private and public pension schemes based on adequacy, sustainability and integrity.

The cost of an ageing population in Europe is expected to "dwarf" the impact of the current financial crisis many times over, a European Commission report reveals.

NORWAY - The Norwegian government plans to spend NOK148.5bn (US$26.7bn) of the Government Pension Fund - Global's assets to help spur economic growth, the Ministry of Finance said as it unveiled its proposed 2010 budget yesterday.

AUSTRALIA - The Australian government will mull increasing the mandatory contribution rate from the current level of 9%.

CHILE - Chilean pension funds were up 15% for the year ended September 30, with assets reaching US$106.5bn, according to data released by the Superintendencia de Pensiones, the national pension watchdog.

UK - A Conservative government will investigate early auto-enrolment proposals "as a priority," shadow secretary of state for work and pensions Theresa May said.

EUROPE - Improving investor confidence sparked €143bn (US$213.1bn) of net inflows to European funds in the first eight months of 2009, with €128bn going into UCITS, research showed.

AUSTRALIA - Superannuation funds and consultants should address all material risks - including environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues - in their investment decision making process, according to the latest investment guidelines from the Australian...