US - New York City pension funds have committed to affordable housing by adopting real estate investment principles which allow them to 'opt-out' of investing in individual properties that could adversely affect tenants and affordability.

UK - Goldman Sachs' Rothesay Life has agreed to buy out the £700m (US$1389m) Rank Group Pension Scheme, in the biggest deal of its kind to date.

NETHERLANDS - PGGM has confirmed it has stopped some of its classical alpha activities in liquid markets but says it will use the technique in other areas of investment.

US - Over half (58%) of state defined benefit (DB) pension plans have funding levels above 80%, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported.

UK - A tool to help trustees and scheme sponsors calculate the impact of the Pensions Regulator's proposed new mortality assumptions has been developed by Hymans Robertson.

Up to half of employees are worried they might lose their jobs in 2008, a Hymans Robertson poll reveals.

RANK GROUP has transferred the assets and liabilities of its £700m scheme to Rothesay Life, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs.

Private equity raises billions; Aviva flexes asset management arm; Credit crunch threatening to claim new hedge fund victim

UK - The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced 12,000 jobs will be eliminated in the next three years and 200 offices closed as part of on-going efficiency measures, having recently announced an 11% rise in productivity.

Local Government Pension Scheme benefits could be cut or member contributions hiked as the result of cost-sharing proposals issued last week.