United Kingdom

UK - Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM) has taken another blow, this time from the £44.8m LDV Pension Scheme.

UK - Passive investors will lose out unless they address the investment risk in their portfolios, says R&SA Investments.

UK - Companies are being urged to encourage their directors and senior staff to take up non-executive roles in other organisations.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds is refusing to give the Unclaimed Assets Register an official endorsement.

UK - Occupational pension schemes should scrutinise their custody and asset security issues, or run the risk of huge losses, according to Mercer Investment Consulting (Mercer).

UK/GLOBAL - International Pensions News can reveal that troubled Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM) has haemorrhaged around £2.2bn in global pension fund business during the last 18 months, and could be on the verge of shredding up to another £2.5bn....

UK - Fund managers have been slow to react to opportunities in global equities despite demand from pension schemes, UBS Global Asset Management believes.

EUROPE/UK - Private equity will continue to see an influx of new money and investors despite poor short-term performance figures, fund managers are predicting.

UK - Consulting giant Watson Wyatt is calling for fund managers to bear the cost and responsibility for reporting on transaction costs.

UK - Watson Wyatt is to provide actuarial and consultancy services for the £900m Coors (formerly Bass) Brewers pension plan.