AUSTRALIA - Further regulations have been put in place as part of the government's ongoing programme of ‘Simplified Superannuation' reforms.

UK - The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) has awarded pensions software provider heywood an eight-year £7.5m contract.

BP and the City of London Corporation have launched a multi-million pound project to research investment opportunities into environmentally-friendly technologies.

THE RESOLUTION Foundation has backed select committee concern over the cost of providing financial advice to support personal accounts.

STANDARD Life Investments has launched an investment-only funds platform for UK defined contributions schemes.

A QUARTER of the UK's top 100 companies now have a surplus in their pension scheme, latest figures from Deloitte reveal.

SWEDEN - The SEK70bn (e7.7bn) Sjunde AP-fonden (AP7) has awarded a SEK6bn (around €640m) currency overlay mandate to Lee Overlay Partners.

Gordon Brown ignored warnings that a change to dividend tax relief would devastate pension values; Pessina faces new rival and pension fears in Boots move

GORDON Brown decided to abolish tax credits on dividends despite warnings that it would cost occupational pension schemes more than £3bn a year.

UK - FTSE 100 pension deficits have hit a five year low, according to a report put out by Deloitte.