United Kingdom

UK - Abbey Financial Markets, the UK investment banking arm of the Santander Group, has appointed two former Watson Wyatt consultants as part of its drive to become a major player in the pensions market.

UK - Currency overlays have boosted pension fund returns over the long term, according to a new report by Mellon Analytical Solutions (MAS).

UK - Stephen Haddrill, director general of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), has urged the Government to resist turning to taxpayers to bail out consumers when planned personal accounts are introduced in 2012.

UK - Consultants have questioned Pearl Group's super secretive new buyout product, apparently aimed at leveraged private equity (PE) bids thwarted by pension fund deficits.

UK - Barings Asset Management has called on the UK government to establish several CalPERS style pension funds as a way of dealing with an expected £600bn civil service pensions black hole which will officially be recognised this year.

UK - The Government has been defeated in the House of Lords after peers backed proposals to ensure fair compensation is available to thousands of pensioners of failed company pension schemes.

UK - Fidelity International has launched its first institutional absolute return fund aiming to help defined benefit (DB) pension plans gain access to a range of traditional and alternative investments.

UK - Aon Consulting has appointed two investment bankers to its team.

UK - Kent County Council pension scheme has chosen Invesco Perpetual to manage an unconstrained £200m UK equity mandate.

UK - The UK Social Investment Forum (UKSIF) has lambasted the UK government for failing to address socially responsible investing (SRI) in its Personal Accounts White Paper.