United Kingdom

UK - The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) will soon inherit the liabilities of its predecessor, the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), without gaining any of its assets, Global Pensions has learned.

UK - The National Association of Pensions Funds (NAPF) has found many employers are unprepared for the introduction of Personal Accounts in 2012.

UK - Special pension scheme contributions to defined benefit schemes have risen for the third consecutive year, as companies continue to address pension risk, according to Mercer.

UK - The exchange traded fund (ETF) market is set to pass the US$1trn mark next year, but greater investor understanding of the different types of ETF vehicle available is needed, iShares has said.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has welcomed the government's consultation on risk sharing for pension schemes, but called for greater flexibility on plan design in a research paper.

UK - Barclays Global Investors (BGI) has appointed Deborah Fuhr as head of exchange traded fund (ETF) research and implementation strategy.

UK - The cost of public sector pension liabilities is expected to soar to £1trn ($1.7trn), a pensions expert warns.

UK - Public sector workers are paying less National Insurance (NI) than the private sector leaving the taxpayer with a £3.5bn ($6bn) bill, a former Downing Street adviser warns.

UK - Personal Accounts will lead to a widespread review of pensions and closure of existing schemes in smaller firms, the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA) warns.

UK - Estimates of the total size of the bulk annuity buyout market for pension funds may have been overvalued by as much as £7bn (US$12.5bn), actuaries Punter Southall have suggested.