United Kingdom

UK - Consumer spending trends will continue downwards despite an Iraq war rebound and a recent surge in web trading, Isis Asset Management predicts.

UK - Nearly a third of people do not regard a pension as the most secure way of providing for their retirement, a new study reveals.

UK - Schemes can improve returns by buying stocks of companies which have large pension fund deficits, fund managers claim.

UK - Local authority pension schemes will be forced to set out their funding policies if new government proposals go ahead.

UK - Firms cannot use their indemnity cover to recover payouts to clients mis-sold pensions, the House of Lords has ruled.

UK - Northern Trust has appointed Paul Chapman as senior vice-president and head of global fund services relationship management.

UK - Nvesta is launching a five-year fund with income and growth options based on the performance of the FTSE100 and S&P500 indices.

UK - Scheme trustees have been warned they will be held responsible for any information they give to members even if it comes from a third party.

UK - Building materials supplier Hanson is to make a one-off payment of £100m into its final salary schemes to help alleviate a £121m FRS17 deficit.

UK - The £650m Somerset County Council Pension Fund has gone out to tender for a £110m bond brief.