United Kingdom

UK - Firms will have to increase the retirement age of staff if pension benefits are to be maintained, Bacon & Woodrow warns.

UK - Big Food Group - formerly known as Iceland - has dismissed claims it could be sued for breach of contract after closing its final salary scheme.

UK - Worthing-based actuary Mark Lloyd & Co is being taken over by pensions services provider the FPS Group for £3m.

UK - Too many investors are still "blindly" following indices even though conditions are ripe for higher returns from active managers, Royal & SunAlliance Investment Management claims.

UK/GLOBAL - Mercer Investment Consulting's recommendations have beaten global indices by 1.1% throughout 2001, according to its latest internal performance audit figures.

UK - Leisure giant Six Continents has denied that pressure from Hermes Pensions Management made it promise to return approximately £1bn to investors.

UK - HBOS will restructure and strengthen its senior investment team when it rebrands and relaunches later this year.

UK - Tory MPs have lambasted Labour's failed pensions policy after reports that ministers are planning to make staff contributions compulsory.

UK - A high level source at a top international consultancy firm has slated the appointment of Andrew Smith as new Secretary to the State for Work and Pensions as bad new for industry.

UK - Merrill Lynch Investment Managers has lost another four mandates from dissatisfied pension funds.