Europe

FINLAND - Reform of earnings-related pensions to be introduced in 2005 will considerably change pension provision accrued at a young age, the Finnish Centre for Pensions (FCP) says.

UK - Conservative plans to use unclaimed assets in banks and building societies to compensate scheme members have been slammed by the Building Societies' Association.

UK - With the threat of a pensions crisis hanging over the UK, consumers could look to alternative savings vehicles to help fund retirement, the Association of Policy Market Makers (APMM) says.

PORTUGAL - Portuguese pension funds returned an average result of negative 0.9% for September.

FRANCE - The e16bn Fonds de Reserve pour les Retraites has awarded Global Securities Consulting Services (GSCS) an analysis mandate.

UK - The government cannot afford to wait for the Pensions Commission's recommendations and must act now if it wants to save the pensions system, consultants warn.

UK - The Pensions Commission looks set to recommend compulsion unless there is ‘a big increase' in the number of firms making employer contributions.

UK - Insight Investment has recruited Deutsche Asset Management's Sandy Black to its senior investment management team.

UK - International asset management business Gartmore Investment Limited has signed a strategic marketing contract with UFJ Trust, the trust bank arm of Japan's fourth largest bank, UFJ Group.

UK - Prime minister Tony Blair has admitted it is unlikely his government will begin to tackle the pensions crisis until after the next general election.