United Kingdom

UK - Thames Valley-based law firm Pitmans Solicitors has promoted David Hosford to partner in its pensions department.

UK - New accounting rules to stop firms inflating profits by using unrealistically high pension return assumptions could make matters worse, a leading actuary claims.

UK - Credit Suisse Asset Management has moved to strengthen its position in the DC market through the introduction of a new open-ended investment product.

UK - Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow has appointed Leslie Moss to head up its executive remuneration and employee share plan consulting team following the retirement of Elizabeth Hubbick last year.

UK - Another year, another set of results and another year of outperformance by the property sector.

UK - Pension funds have criticised a £1.5m payoff for outgoing Cable & Wireless chief executive Graham Wallace.

UK - A book dealing with retirement topics such as pensions and investments, paid work and leisure activities has been published by Kogan Page.

UK - The Financial Services Authority has produced a consultation paper on how to improve the corporate governance of life insurance firms and with-profits funds.

US/UK - Amvescap, the Anglo/US fund manager, cited the worst bear market for 65 years as pre-tax profits plunged 33% in 2002.

UK - Trustees have rapped companies that fail to provide enough social responsibility and environmental information for investment decisions.