United Kingdom

UK - Global indices provider FTSE has launched its first hedge fund index, which it claims will give schemes confidence to invest in the asset class.

UK - Schemes and employers could be "over-burdened" by the government's drive for greater communication and transparency, consultants warn.

UK - Jardine Lloyd Thompson has outsourced part of its investment consulting division by appointing fund-of-funds provider Forsyth Partners to do its manager research.

UK - Employers must have effective absentee management systems in place to protect against lawsuits and contain employee benefit costs, consultants say.

UK - Friends Provident has appointed KPMG as its new auditor to bring the life and pensions provider in line with corporate governance best practice.

UK - Bird flu will have little impact on Asian markets provided governments act swiftly to tackle the problem, fund managers predict.

UK - Invesco Asset Management has integrated its retail and institutional investment teams to meet "a growing demand from schemes for retail-style management".

UK - Government plans to give new staff automatic membership of their company pension scheme puts too much onus on them, union leaders claim.

UK - Aberdeen Asset Managers will launch an Asian Smaller Companies Fund in April.

UK - Electronics giant Toshiba Information Systems has launched an online information service aimed at "demystifying" pensions for members of its £10m defined contribution scheme.