US - Vanguard has appointed former assistant secretary of labor and head of EBSA, Ann Combs, to head a newly created group.

US - The Employee Retirement System (ERS) of Texas has re-appointed JPMorgan Worldwide Securities Services to provide global custody and asset services for the fund's US$21bn in assets.

LESS than a third of defined contribution scheme members understand how asset classes work, research shows.

ANALYSTS are divided over whether commodities are entering 2007 in the early stages of a bull market or if 2006's record prices signal the beginning of downturn.

PENSION funds will continue to shift more assets into property in 2007 despite an expected fall in returns, Arlington Securities believes.

MELLON Global Investments and Baring Asset Management have launched new country-specific funds.

Stewart tipped to step down from Standard Life in May; Cheyne to vie for talent with partnership offers; Fulcrum hedge fund in the black for first time

Fundamental rethink on retirement years needed

LEGAL opinion by a high-profile QC suggests the Financial Services Authority and Equitable Life may have misled policyholders in 2001.

BARCLAYS Capital is offering institutional investors call options on a basket of hedge funds to get around the "cumbersome negotiations" often associated with investing in the asset class.