United Kingdom

UK - Fidelity Investments has introduced a buy-out plan to its range of DC product options, enabling trustees of occupational pension schemes to transfer liabilities to individual member policies.

UK - UK civil servants may contemplate taking strike action to protect their pension rights in the wake of plans from the government to raise the retirement age and reduce benefits.

UK - The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published the first consultation paper on codes of practice for the new Pensions Regulator.

UK - The £1.2bn Aberdeen City Council pension fund is tendering for a series of specialist investment managers for mandates totalling £610m as part of a move from away from a balanced structure.

UK - A new Citizen's Pension worth £105 a week could be introduced by 2010 under proposals published by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).

UK - State Street Global Advisors has appointed Ciprian Marin (pictured) as portfolio manager for the quantitative equity team.

UK - Fund managers will be under pressure to perform in 2005 as slowing global growth looks set to result in modest excess returns over bonds, says F Asset Management.

UK - Credit Suisse Asset Management has stepped up its offering of asset allocation consulting services in the UK with the relaunch of its strategic asset allocation service for small to medium sized pension funds.

UK - The government's tax exemptions for companies that pay for employees to receive independent financial advice have been dismissed as a "sham".

UK - The newly merged F&C Asset Management has partnered with fund managers Bill Brown, Robert Mitchell and Stuart Rollason to establish an investment boutique with a focus on investment in small companies.