United Kingdom

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds has revamped its policies on boardroom good practice.

UK - A model contract for all agreements between schemes and fund managers could be launched within the next few weeks.

UK - A new EU directive could be a death knell for final salary schemes or expose the government and firms to claims from members, experts warn.

UK - A raft of senior pensions professionals received awards in the New Year's Honours List.

UK - Most employees are willing to pay more for defined benefit schemes in the future, a recent survey found.

UK - Deutsche Asset Management has appointed Fiona Hope (pictured) to its UK relationship management team and David Benson as director of business development.

UK - ISIS Asset Management has appointed David Currie as director and head of North American equities.

UK - Britannic Group has paid £50m of its aggregate £185m of bank borrowings it took to purchase Alba Life - refinancing the residual £135m with a new five-year facility.

UK - Investors have poured cash into a gold fund launched by Gold Bullion Securities with a total of 19.6 tonnes of the precious metal now held on trust.

UK - Angry rank-and-file trade unionists have challenged a pay-off and pension top-up for a senior official whose post is being abolished.