Investment

US - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has announced plans to ease regulatory burdens faced by pension plan sponsors.

JAPAN - The implementation of new accounting rules that would have forced companies to book pension fund shortfalls as liabilities on their balance sheets is to be postponed, according to reports.

Legal & General Investment Management has launched a pooled fund platform that offers pension schemes a flexible version of liability-driven investment.

US - President Barack Obama has appointed Michael Kennedy as chairman of The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB).

The UK's index of 100 leading shares fell 2.76% to below 5,000 this morning, as global markets showed no signs of shaking off fears the West is heading back into recession.

The FTSE has suffered sharp falls in afternoon trading with banking stocks leading the plunge into the red amid renewed euro debt concerns.

EUROPE - The UK government is understood to be prepared to shoot down proposals for a financial transaction tax being mooted by Germany and France.

The European Central Bank will dodge quantitative easing to solve the eurozone sovereign debt crisis because its mandate does not allow it, an Aegon fixed income manager says.

More than 80% of scheme managers agree the cost transparency of defined contribution schemes needs to be improved to make them more simple, clear and comparable for members.

Pension funds' reaction to last week's market turbulence show governance standards have improved since the 2008 market crash, with many schemes moving to re-risk their portfolios, according to market experts.