Europe

EUROPE - An increasing number of European pension funds have begun taking an active interest in risk budgeting, according to new research.

UK - Third-party administrator MNPA has been appointed by the Comet pension scheme.

EUROPE - An expert group on pensions has said that the European Commission should seek to create a real single market by reducing or eliminating "unnecessary" host country rules that act as barriers to cross border pensions.

UK - Stakeholder pensions will be "left in ruins" if the government lifts the cap on charges, new research by the Consumers' Association reveals.

UK - Watering down Britain's FRS17 as the basis for new international standards has been hailed as a "step in the right direction" by consultants.

UK - Marlborough Stirling has launched an equity release outsourcing service which, it claims, will enable life and pension providers to enter the market.

UK - Only a third of the UK's top pension schemes offer employees access to financial planning advice, a new survey shows.

UK - The government is set to reveal new measures to compensate workers who lost their pension savings when their firms failed, MPs predict.

UK - Occupational pension provision will not prosper under the incoming legislative regime, the Association of Consulting Actuaries warns.

Luxembourg - The IMF has urged Luxembourg to consider building up a mandatory fully-funded pillar, in order to mitigate risks related to the high degree of mobility of the workforce.