United Kingdom

UK - Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM) recorded a net inflow in assets under management of US$12bn in the third quarter, with total assets under management reaching $524bn.

UK - The Accounting Standards Board has given in to the growing pressure for a review into the financial reporting of pensions.

UK - The Debt Management Office (DMO) has announced the issuance of a further £675m nominal of 50-year index-linked treasury gilts expiring 2055.

UK/US - The Bank of New York is to acquire 80% of CDO manager, Alcentra, for an undisclosed sum.

UK - JPMorgan Asset Management has appointed Campbell Fleming (pictured) as head of UK business, with responsibility for life and pensions, institutional, retail and investment trusts.

UK - Co-operative Pension Services (CPS) has outsourced its actuarial and administrative services for the trustees of over 30 pension schemes to Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

UK - Unions have welcomed a government decision to back-down from a proposal which could have seen public sector workers under current defined benefit pension schemes forced to continue working until age 65.

UK - British employers would significantly reduce the burden of their ‘pension promise' if they could pay the government to take contracted-out liabilities back into the state scheme, David Willetts (pictured) MP has argued.

UK - More than one fifth of companies may have to get rid of staff if compulsory employer pension contributions are brought in according to a survey conducted by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

UK - ABN AMRO Mellon Global Securities Services has utilised the securities finance platform EquiLend in a bid to strengthen its distribution to securities lending clients.