United Kingdom

UK - Large-cap equity portfolios are set to rise due to a combination of improving economic fundamentals, cheap valuations and improved liquidity, Old Mutual Asset Managers claims.

UK/FRANCE - Watson Wyatt has appointed Jean-Francois Tondreau as a senior international consultant in its benefits practice.

UK - Mercer Human Resource Consulting is introducing FileNet software as a key component in its new pensions administration service.

UK - Scrapping compulsory application forms has boosted membership of B&CE Benefit Schemes' stakeholder scheme by 60,000, the provider claims.

UK - Hazell Carr Pensions Consulting has been appointed as actuary to four schemes with combined assets of £26m.

UK - Smiths Group has appointed Northern Trust to act as global custodian to its two pension schemes worth a total of £2bn.

UK - A new qualification for pensions administrators has been launched by the PMI.

UK - Conservative Party plans to phase out the state second pension and redirect contracting-out rebates into savings initiatives have been welcomed by the industry.

UK - Over 40% of small businesses would consider offering a contributory pension scheme if they received tax breaks for doing so, a survey shows.

UK - IFA support services provider Bankhall Investment Associates has launched a new compliance and support package in partnership with pensions software provider, The Exchange.