United Kingdom

UK - Schemes should invest in gold to insulate themselves from the effects of "extreme market events", according to research from Mercer Investment Consulting.

UK - The rate of growth in the flexible benefits market is set to double this year, experts say.

UK - Companies can reduce employee hostility to DC pension plans by incorporating them into flexible benefit schemes, Gissings director Tim Webb claims.

UK - Baker & McKenzie's Hong Kong office acted for Principal Financial Group on its purchase of Dao Heng Asset Management.

UK - Morley Fund Management has launched the first external £100m socially responsible property fund investing in the regeneration of deprived areas.

UK - Schroder Property Investment Management has completed a £70m disposal programme of eight office, retail and industrial properties.

UK - Standard & Poor's and Chinese financial services company CITIC Securities have launched the S&P/CITIC 50 index and S&P/CITIC 300 index, designed to measure the performance of China's A-Share market.

UK - Gartmore has added the AlphaGen Currency Fund to its $4bn single manager hedge fund business.

UK - The £610m Shropshire County Council Pension Fund has hired Man Investments and Quellos Group to manage a £61m hedge fund brief.

UK - Increasing and delaying the introduction of the lifetime savings cap has not appeased senior pensions professionals.