Europe

UK - Employers should brace themselves for increased industrial action on pensions issues, law firm DLA warns.

DENMARK - Danish pension funds are reverting back to the Danish-Kroner denominated bond market as the search for euroland bonds cools.

UK - Engineering firms have dismissed Alan Pickering's proposals to fill the defined benefit void with industry-wide schemes as being fraught with "practical difficulties".

UK - Trustees of schemes in wind-up can transfer members' guaranteed pensions into a defined contribution vehicle without consent, a prominent pensions lawyer claims.

UK - The government is increasing uncertainty at pension schemes by failing to reveal its plans for replacing the minimum funding requirement, consultants claim.

EUROPE - Abacus, one of the Isle of Man's trust and corporate service providers, is now registered with the Insurance and Pensions Authority to act as a schemes administrator for international trust-based pensions.

EUROPE - In line with its declared strategic aim of becoming a top five provider of UK, European and pan-European bonds, Insight Investment has appointed three new fixed income directors to strengthen its existing 19-strong fixed income team.

UK - Fund managers are urging investors to shun the telecoms sector until new technology, such as 3G, is established.

UK - The Inland Revenue intends to tax all lump-sum retirement payouts in excess of £50,000.

UK - Scottish Mutual has added 37 external fund links to its flexible retirement package to increase its share of the market.