Investment

Hermes Fund Managers have launched its latest fund as part of its UK active inflation-linked strategy which will primarily invest in UK bonds.

A small spike in gilt yields brought liabilities down by 3.6% in September and helped deficits improve by £51bn, according to the Pension Protection Fund 7800 Index.

The Pensions Regulator has reiterated its stance that most firms currently agreeing funding valuations will not need to significantly increase deficit recovery contributions.

Research from Hymans Robertson shows that IAS19 deficits rose from £67bn to £115bn for FTSE350 companies in the year up to July 2012.

The £1.5bn Willis Pension Scheme has chosen Towers Watson to manage a large part of its hedge fund portfolio.

Alliance Trust Savings has appointed Patrick Mill as managing director.

Legal & General Investment Management has appointed to two senior roles, following the retirement of its chief operating officer and head of large UK clients.

Finance and Technology Research Centre director Ian McKenna has said the auto-enrolment of small to medium sized enterprises will be a "political disaster".

The average time taken to get through the Pension Protection Fund assessment should fall below 12 months after the introduction of a new data audit tool, says the lifeboat fund.

A Pension fund preference for brownfield investments over greenfield could hamper government plans for infrastructure investment.