Europe

UK - Flexible retirement plans to be introduced in 2006 will create a win-win situation for employers and staff, Mercer Human Resource Consulting claims.

UK - Employer contributions by the Progressive Building Society are rising to nearly a quarter of pensionable pay to plug a £1.7m deficit in its pension fund.

UK - Benefits must be slashed and retirement ages increased if occupational schemes are to survive, incoming Association of Consulting Actuaries chairman Adrian Waddingham claims.

UK - The implications of new pension legislation for scheme trustees will be the subject of a series of UK seminars held throughout the year.

UK - Government moves to stop companies from side-stepping their pensions obligations will raise costs and may scupper mergers and acquisitions, lawyers warn.

UK - Independent financial advisers are being invited to attend a series of seminars on "how to capitalise on A-Day".

UK - The pensions department at Safeway is "struggling to cope" with a four-month backlog of inquiries from members.

UK - Schemes' property investments returned 10.9% during 2003, approximately 50% less than equities, new figures by the Investment Property Database show.

UK - Lawyers have identified two loopholes that could strip the Pensions Protection Fund of millions of pounds per year.

UK - Consultants are considering dropping Deutsche Asset Management from their buy lists after its UK equities chief resigned.