United Kingdom

UK - Alexander Forbes Trustee Services has launched a service which would free insolvency practitioners (IPs) from the liability of being a trustee of an insolvent company's defined contribution (DC) pension scheme.

UK - FTSE 100 company pension scheme deficits might increase by a further £80bn over the next year as a result of the schemes' investment strategies, a study by Deloitte has found.

UK - The desire of companies to refocus on their core business is the most important driver to outsourcing pension fund administration, according to Aon Consulting.

UK - The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has launched a consultation on the importance of record keeping for scheme administrators.

UK - Corporate governance standards of UK listed companies outperform the the rest of the world, Mark Burgess, head of equities, Legal & General Investment Management (L&G), has claimed.

UK - Hays plc has appointed AllenbridgeEPIC (AEIA) as independent investment adviser and Alan Saunders as chairman of the pension scheme's investment committee.

UK - Dynamic allocation funds have proven increasingly popular with defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the past year, according to Baring Asset Management.

UK - The Pensions Regulator's (TPR) announcement it will not backdate its stance on longevity and scheme funding has received a cautious welcome from the industry.

UK - Newsquest Media Group pension scheme has allocated 10% of its market value to two funds of hedge funds, in a quest for diversification of assets and superior risk adjusted returns.

UK - The £672m (US$1.3bn) London Borough of Tower Hamlets pension fund has selected Auriel Capital Management and Record Currency Management to handle its active currency hedging portfolio, according to MandateWire.