United Kingdom

UK - The £360m Bexley Council pension fund is considering re-jigging its asset allocation with first-time allocations to private equity and hedge funds on the back of its latest asset liability study.

UK - Government critics and analysts across the pensions industry have called for an increase in the basic state pension, however not all are happy about the prospect of a later retirement.

UK - The government is looking at new tax rules that would lead to more clarity and less cost on pensions, according to pensions minister Stephen Timms.

UK - Investec Asset Management reported a 57% rise in operating profits, to £21.8m, in the six months to 30 September.

UK - Employers with defined benefit pension schemes contributed on average 19% of pensionable wage to their schemes in a bid to reduce deficits, compared to an average of just 6% from employers sponsoring defined contribution schemes.

UK - Minister for Pensions, Stephen Timms (pictured), has hinted that the government will support automatic enrolment or soft compulsion - one of the recommendations that reportedly forms part of the Pensions Commission's soon to be published report on...

UK - More than a third of CFOs and treasurers believe their company is at financial risk from its pension scheme deficit.

UK - Pension funds are missing the potential for significant gains from UK equities by focusing too much attention on costly alternative asset classes, Baring Asset Management (BAM) has argued.

UK - BAE Systems has ruled out any increase in employee contributions as the company moves to plug its multi-billion pound pensions deficit.

UK - Over 95% of pensions schemes will offer free cash sums worth up to 25% of the fund's value on the back of the new pensions tax rules to take effect next year, a Hymans Robertson survey has found.