United Kingdom

UK - Abolishing contracting out for final salary schemes could eventually lead to a higher universal state pension, an analyst says.

UK - Institutional investment in Gartmore's £3.6bn alternative funds business increased to 70% of total assets under management in the first half of 2010, interim results show.

UK - The pensions buyout market is likely to see more than £10bn ($15.6bn)of deals completed this year, Pensions Capital Strategies says.

UK - Employees at AstraZeneca will strike over cuts to pension benefits, unless the company comes back with "meaningful" terms, the GMB trade union says.

UK - Buyout vehicle Resolution will continue to target further life company acquisitions after posting pre-tax profits of £203m ($317m) in the first half of the year.

UK - News that the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global lost €1.1bn on its 1.75% stake in BP has highlighted the potential impact faced by UK schemes, FairPensions says.

UK - Paternoster has been put up for sale, with its original backers facing the loss of more than half their £500m equity investment, according to reports.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds is backing auto-enrolment and NEST in the main but says the finer details around scheme-based certification need clarification.

UK - The Department for Work and Pensions' plans to abolish transfers between contracted-out defined benefit and defined contribution schemes could lead to a "firesale" of final salary liabilities, a consultant warns.

UK - Major changes to auto-enrolment in 2012 risk undermining the consensus on workplace pension reform, leaving another generation exposed to retirement poverty, the Trades Union Congress has warned.