United Kingdom

UK - The £1.37bn Derbyshire County Council Pension Fund has gone out to tender for a custodian to look after its European (ex-UK) and North American equity and bond assets.

UK - Opening the Pension Protection Fund to insolvent firms will push first-year claims up to at least £1bn, lawyers warn.

UK - UK pension funds' posted modest returns in the third quarter with total asset returns up 2.2% for the period, according to results released by the WM Company - the European performance measurement arm of State Street.

UK - Mercer Human Resource Consulting is concerned that the government's new tax exemption on pension advice and information masks a wider push to require all employers to contribute to pensions via the back door.

UK - Multi-manager Investment Solutions has been appointed by shipping company F T Everard & Sons to manage the £6.5m active portfolio of its £11m closed defined benefit (DB) pension scheme.

UK - Open final salary schemes within the private sector are down to the "bare bones", the conference was told.

UK - The Pensions Regulator has dismissed claims it will be "overwhelmed" with clearance demands stemming from moral hazard clauses in the Pensions Bill.

UK - Pensions minister Malcolm Wicks is considering setting up a forum for trustees to listen more closely to their views.

UK - Fidelity Investments is broadening its defined contribution (DC) product offering with the addition of a group stakeholder product from the beginning of December.  

UK - Extending National Savings to include a pension bond would help low paid workers boost their retirement income, the House of Lords believes.