The Financial Services Authority has launched a suitability template on pension switching advice as part of an industry-wide review.

US - Putnam Investments has named Edmund Murphy as its new managing director and head of defined contribution.

ROYAL London has revealed a 17% increase in new life and pensions business during 2008.

US - The US$174bn California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) has announced it is to close for two days a month as part of a state-wide cost saving scheme.

Including: UK - Hammersmith tenders for new consultant; SWITZERLAND - Cantons reject full coverage for public funds; US - Funds sue UBS over fraud claims

In the first of a new series of bi-monthly interviews with scheme managers, ANDREW SHEEN speaks to West Midlands Pension Fund director of pensions BRIAN BAILEY about how the credit crunch has accelerated changes in the £6.5bn fund's investment strategy...

AUSTRALIA - Pension fund members continued to suffer losses in the final quarter of 2008 due to the economic downturn, research shows.

US - The New York City pension funds have called for reports from three US pharmacy chains on how they are responding to increasing pressures to stop the sale of tobacco products.

GLOBAL - All equity markets suffered declines over through the fourth quarter of 2008, Mercer analysis reveals.

Raising Standards of Pensions Administration has launched an updated version of its risk management tool.