EUROPE - UK pension funds have adapted their approaches to interest rates and inflation hedging, as a result of current market conditions.

UK - Consumers are taking a much more pessimistic view of their retirement prospects and are losing confidence in being able to provide for a comfortable retirement, Alliance Trust says.

UK - Hermes, the asset management arm of the BT Pension Scheme (BTPS), has announced the expansion of its fund of hedge fund capabilities with the appointment of Matteo Dante Perruccio.

US - Pension fund beneficiaries have protested last Friday over the way the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) and the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) boards of trustees managed investments and took their fiduciary...

UK - The fund management industry is at its most pessimistic for a decade, the Confederation of British Industry and Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) has warned.

Including: US - Congress backs Paulson bail-out plan; UK - Bradford and Bingley nationalised; BENELUX - Governments back Fortis

UK - The pensions' buyout market will have to grow by almost £250bn ($450bn) over the next three years if the current levels of demand from trustees are to be met, according to research.

NEW ZEALAND - The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation have confirmed the fund has lost nearly 5% on its investments over the past year - a pre-tax loss of NZ$716m ($484m).

CANADA - The $108.5bn Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) has increased its total holding in the equity of Hammerson plc to 8,950,000 ordinary shares, representing approximately 3.1% of the issued ordinary share capital of the company.

Hermes has offered its clients the opportunity to pay rent monthly rather than quarterly to ease the strain caused by market volatility.