United Kingdom

UK - Virgin Money is wooing Norwich Union stakeholder pension customers by offering to transfer and set up accounts with as little as £1.

UK - Take-up of stakeholder pensions has stalled and they are failing to make a significant dent in the savings gap, the Association of British Insurers says.

SCOTLAND - The British Airways Pension Investment Fund has bought a £17.7m freehold in one of Edinburgh's largest retail warehouse parks.

UK/NETHERLANDS - Financial services group Aegon has acquired a 60% stake in Newcastle-based IFA Positive Solutions for an undisclosed sum.

UK - Many institutional fund managers are considering withdrawing from CAPS because retail funds are skewing its figures, a fund manager claims.

UK - Law firm Marineau Johnson has expanded its pensions team with the appointments of Gary Delderfield and Louise Pope as associates.

UK - Government measures to resolve the pensions crisis will not include compulsion or abolishing contracting-out, work and pensions secretary Andrew Smith told delegates at the recent NAPF autumn conference.

UK - Trustees should be vigilant that they are not paying over the odds for active fund managers, a law firm warns.

UK - Chemicals group BOC Group is ending its 18-year contributions holiday after being hit by falling assets and rising liabilities.

UK - KAS Bank has been appointed custodian to the £110m Johnson Group Staff Pension Scheme.