ITALY - Trade unions have set up a pension fund for Italian professionals in the commercial, technical and health sectors.

ALMOST half of small to medium-sized companies believe the introduction of personal accounts will lead to the levelling down or closure of their pension scheme, research reveals.

US - Excessive compensation of executives is an abusive trend that could devalue company interests, and public pension funds must act to protect their public company investments, NYC comptroller William Thompson's office has claimed.

UK - FTSE Group has launched the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT UK REIT index in response to the introduction of REIT legislation into the UK on January 1.

COLLATERALISED debt obligations offer pension funds better spreads and greater returns than traditional bonds, Solent Capital says.

The Royal College of Nursing has denied a proposed sale of its multi-million pound headquarters is due to its £42m pension deficit.

EUROPE - The implementation of better accounting practices for unfunded pension liabilities should be introduced across the Euro zone, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

WEST SUSSEX County Council Pension Fund has reappointed Baillie Gifford to manage half of its £1.3bn assets.

AROUND a fifth of the UK's top 100 listed companies have stopped granting share options to employees, new research shows.

SCHEMES should prepare for a sharp jump in default levels for corporate bonds in 2007, F&C Asset Management warns.