Europe

UK - Alternative investments are growing in popularity among pension funds and other institutional investors, new research shows.

BELGIUM - Belgian pension funds returned 3.8% for the first three months in 2004, according to Mercer Investment Consulting.

UK - Deutsche Asset Management is set to lose another £330m after the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Pension Fund decided to put the asset manager's balanced equity mandate up for tender.

UK - The UK's two largest actuarial bodies have appointed new presidents - Michael Pomery to the Institute of Actuaries and Harvie Brown to the Faculty of Actuaries.

UK - Independent financial advisers may be breaching new financial services rules because they are unaware of the changes, systems provider O&M Systems warns.

UK - Complaints accusing government departments of maladministration over pensions advice are being investigated by the parliamentary ombudsman.

UK - Part-time fire-fighters are taking their battle for equal pension rights to the House of Lords after losing a crucial test case in the Court of Appeal.

UK - Humberside Fire and Rescue Service's £6.2m pension deficit could rise to £12m in the next few years, the fire authority has been warned.

UK - Reliance Mutual is seeking further blocks of life assurance and pensions business following its acquisition of 23,500 policies from Family Assurance.

UK - Financial directors must plan ahead to control the risks associated with all forms of pension provision, experts warn.