United Kingdom

UK - Standard & Poor's has launched a new service for UK pension scheme trustees that enables them to independently gauge the risk of their scheme sponsor defaulting.

UK - Adrian Hickey has left Shell Pensions Management Services to join F&C Asset Management as director, Japanese equities.

UK - Changes in funding requirements for defined benefit pension schemes could lead to a big change in investment strategies, says Mellon Human Resources & Investor Solutions.

UK - Companies are turning to cash allowances or UURBS (Unfunded Unapproved Retirement Benefit Scheme) as alternatives to pension benefits for executives likely to suffer the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) charge but Watson Wyatt has questioned the value of...

UK - Failure by pension funds to factor the impact of climate change into their investments leaves their assets exposed to significant risks in the long term, according to a new report.

UK - Standard Life Investments has launched an online voting disclosure system in an effort to increase its voting transparency and raise industry standards on corporate governance.

UK - New funding requirements being introduced as part of the Pensions Act could widen the division between the role of the trustee and the sponsoring company, says Aaron Punwani, partner at Lane Clark & Peacock.

UK - Pension funds should be wary of excessive stock concentration in the FTSE All-Share Index when Shell and Royal Dutch unify to form a single listing, Mercer Investment Consulting has warned.

UK - Jenni Nicholls (pictured), a member of Hewitt Associates' investment team for seven years, has left the firm to join Watson Wyatt as a senior investment consultant to its investment practice.

UK - Members of defined contribution pension schemes are considerably less aware of their likely income in retirement than members of defined benefit schemes, new research by Watson Wyatt has found.