Companies paying more into pensions; Top civil servants boast £1m pension pot; ABN Amro invests €100m in hedge fund; Man Group launches ‘deficit buster'

BRAZIL - The link between the minimum pension and the minimum wage must be severed to prevent further rises in the deficit of the Brazilian social security regime for the private sector.

BALANCED pooled funds achieved a median return of 2pc in October up from 1.8pc in September, Mellon Analytical Solutions' CAPS Pooled Pension Fund Update reveals.

CHARLIE METCALFE - the former deputy chief executive of Hermes Investment Management - has joined First State Investments as chief executive officer.

UK - Alternative investments such as hedge funds, private equity and commodities are set to become mainstream asset classes for pension funds over the next three years, according to a survey by Investment Solutions.

The High Court has given trustees a "timely reminder" that schemes will be exposed to legal action unless member booklets accurately reflect deeds, lawyers warn.

UK - Only five out of the UK's 20 largest occupational pension schemes have disclosed policies on engaging with companies on environmental and social responsibility, research by FairPensions has revealed.

ICI is to pump £230m into its pension fund following the sale of flavours and fragrance subsidiary Quest.

SPAIN - The average monthly state pension for retirees in Spain rose to €727.70 on 1 November - a 5.8% increase on the average state pension on the same date in 2005.

MALAYSIA - The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) registered net investment income of RM3.5bn (US$963m) over the third quarter of the year, with its equities portfolio posting an 8% increase.