BELGIUM - Belgian employers are grossly overestimating the level of benefits provided by their defined contribution (DC) pension plans, Watson Wyatt has warned.

US - The Teachers' Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) has achieved a US$115m settlement of a six-year derivative shareholder action against AIG and several former senior executives and directors.

CANADA - The CAN$52bn (US$48.6bn) Ontario Municipal Employees' Retirement System (OMERS) has bought Canadian analytical laboratory services network Maxxam Analytics International.

AUSTRALIA - The Australian government has rejected calls by the Liberal party-led opposition coalition to provide an immediate raise in the basic state pension for singles.

US - The Department of Labor should develop guidance for defined benefits (DB) schemes investing in hedge funds or private equity, as previously recommended by a federal advisory council, a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has stated....

US- In the week the US Federal Government took the historic decision to bail out stricken companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, several pension funds have been investigating legal action to recover losses suffered in the two mortgage giants.

UK - Company strategies and policies are undoubtedly being influenced by the top UK pension funds that invest in them, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has said.

Professional Pensions has joined up with the adnitor UK Platform Awards to recognise excellence in DC Worksite pension platforms.

The £4.3bn Merseyside Pension Scheme is to overhaul is pensions administration and pensioner payroll system.

Cardano has appointed Anna Dayn to its London-based investment management team.