United Kingdom

UK - The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) has welcomed the UK financial services regulator's decision to consult the hedge fund community on risk and regulatory engagement going forward.

UK - The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has published two discussion papers focusing on hedge funds and retail investment products.  

UK - The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has handed out its first mandates to Insight Investments and PIMCO, while State Street Bank has been appointed as custodian.

UK - The exposure to equities of many Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) pension funds has continued to fall over the past year, according to a survey by Watson Wyatt.

UK - Unison, the union which represents 800, 000 local authority workers, has used its annual conference to threaten strike action unless the government withdraws proposal to raise the retirement age by five years and move from final to career average...

UK - The £1.5bn Staffordshire County Council Pension Fund has put a £90m Asia Pacific (including Japan) equities mandate out to tender.

UK- The Pensions Commission yesterday hosted a seminar to discuss options for reform of the UK pensions system, admitting that consultation following its first report had lead to little agreement on a way forward.

UK - Companies need to take the lead in managing employees' expectations for death-in-service benefits ahead of pensions simplification, according to Watson Wyatt partner David Cross.

UK - The Investment Management Association has called for a public and private pension partnership which splits responsibility for pension provision between the government and the industry, claiming it could see an extra £10bn a year flow into pensions....

UK - The £900m Plumbing and Mechanical Services (UK) Industry pension scheme has dropped Mercer as its investment consultant and hired Hewitt Associates.