Europe

UK - Financial services companies, such as insurance and pensions providers, which sell primarily through intermediaries have been identified as the worst performers when it comes to customer services and complaint handling, according to a recent survey...

UK - Sanlam Financial Services,the financial advisory and investment management group, has acquired Hichens, Harrison & Co, one of the oldest independent stockbrokers operating in the City of London.

UK - Research from the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has argued that people making average contributions to an occupational pension scheme may have to work until 72 to have a two-thirds of salary retirement income.

EUROPE - European Corporate Governance Service (ECGS), an alliance of the leading corporate governance research and advisory groups in Europe, has recommended support a shareholder resolution to be proposed at Ericsson's forthcoming AGM, on March 27 to...

UK - Watson Wyatt has boosted its account management strength with the appointment of Paola Bradley.

BELGIUM - Belgacom, the Belgian telecommunications operator, has put off appointing a manager to run a EUR170m European real estate mandate until its next board meeting, Fabian de Bilderling, senior investment officer, said.

UK - Pension funds are making more use of residential property to keep a check on increasing wage-led liabilities, industry experts claim.

UK - William M Mercer is organising the following courses and seminars over the next few months:

UK - FutureOrg, the public sector organisation due to take over from the UK's 10 regional art boards, has outsourced its pension fund services to the £4.7bn West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF).

UK - Almost a third of trustees are choosing inappropriate investment options for defined contribution schemes, a leading consultant claims.