US - St. Louis has defended its decision to issue US$125m in municipal bonds just days after the chairman of the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) criticised the vehicle's outdated legislation.

STANDARD & POOR'S has launched an investable index for ‘frontier' equities in a bid to offer schemes exposure to previously uninvestable markets.

THE PENSION Protection Fund could set its levy at the same rate for the next three years, under proposals put forward in a consultation paper published today.

FTSE 100 pension schemes recorded a net surplus of £12bn in July compared with a £36bn deficit a year earlier, new research shows.

STANDARD Life UK life and pensions sales grew by 45pc in the last year to £6.95bn.

NEGOTIATIONS over pension rights for Barclays staff transferred to a subsidiary of LSL Property Services have been concluded.

UK - Industry figures have predicted that Britian is on the verge of a pensions crisis - but advised prime minister Gordon Brown there is still time to avert disaster.

US - A growing number of employees are expected to outlive their income in retirement, and adding annuities to 401(k) plans could be the next development to improve retirement security, according to research by Watson Wyatt Worldwide.

SCOTTISH WIDOWS Investment partnership has increased profit to £21m in the first half of the year, driven by successful fund launches in the institutional sector and a 271pc jump in international business.

JAPAN - Japanese politicians have proposed creating a giant Y200trn pension scheme which would incorporate the world's current largest, the Y110trn Japanese Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF).