United Kingdom

UK - Institutional investors are moving to alternative asset classes such as private loans to secure long-term income streams and above average returns.

UK - Regulatory failure and mismanagement of Equitable Life dates back nearly 15 years, a report by the Equitable Members' Action Group claims.

UK - Employer and employee contributions at engineering giant Weir Group's DB scheme are increasing by two percentage points after the deficit soared by £82.7m.

UK - The sales of impaired life annuities soared by 55% last year with nearly a quarter sold on the open market, research by Watson Wyatt shows.

UK - Greater clarity is needed in those proposals designed to protect members of final salary schemes, says Independent Trustee Services.

UK - The pensions Green Paper "does not go far enough" in its efforts to simplify pensions in the UK, Scottish Equitable claims.

US/UK - Innovest Strategic Value Advisors has hired Bijan Foroodian as director of quantitative analysis.

UK - The government's proposals for pensions tax simplification "lack clarity and detail", according to Jardine Lloyd Thompson Benefit Solutions.

UK - Pensions funds are finding it difficult to retain administration staff because of the repetitive nature and inherent pressures of the job, a recruitment consultant claims.

UK - Norwich Union has stressed that the cost of implementing the current proposals would be "substantial".