United Kingdom

UK - NAPF chief executive Christine Farnish has attacked employers for following "herd behaviour" and shutting final salary schemes to new members.

UK - Isis Property has let a retail unit in Swindon to bakery chain Greggs and has achieved an increased rent of £40,000 per annum.

UK/EUROPE - Investment Property Databank is to publish two directories on UK and European property investment funds in conjunction with Oxford Property Consultants.

UK/EUROPE - Pension funds and other institutional investors have poured assets into Barclays Global Investors' European Equity Market Neutral Fund.

UK - The majority of financial advisers would support a government move to raise the state retirement age from 65 to 70, research by Axa shows.

UK - The Liberal Democrats have attacked the government for "standing by" while firms close DB schemes to new members.

UK - The Association of Property Unit Trusts explains how despite strong performance over the short, medium and long-term (relative to equities and gilts), property still faces a difficult task of proving its worth in a portfolio as a viable contributor...

UK - The resignation of Equitable Life's chief finance and investments officer Charles Bellringer has prompted a call for the beleaguered mutual to be sold off.

UK - J. Sainsbury has been accused of trying to bury bad news about the health of its pension scheme after refusing to disclose its FRS17 position.

UK - Trade unionists have praised car giant Ford for improving its "top class" final salary scheme.