Regions

INCLUDING: US - State Street acquires FinancialSockets; HONG KONG - LaSalle appoints CEO; UK - Research Oracle launched

GLOBAL - An overwhelming majority (71%) of the Global Pensions 100 Panel believes pension fund finance should be viewed from a risk management perspective.

GLOBAL - Failure to meet criteria relating to issues such as climate change has resulted in 15 companies being deleted from the FTSE4Good Index.

EUROPE - European property markets look set to deliver low returns in 2008 as a result of asset re-pricing due to the credit crunch.

GLOBAL - Swiss firm Credit Suisse and two compatriots topped the R&M Global Custody Survey, with RBC Dexia doing well in Europe and Canada.

EUROPE - Deutsche Börse (DB) has announced the launch of longevity and mortality risk indices for use in securitisation products.

INCLUDING - RUSSIA - UBS appoints Russia CEO; EUROPE - Nedergaard quits Northern Trust; EUROPE - ETF Securities expands team; ASIA - Head of EAFE at Threadneedle; UK - Pension funds help meet new reporting standards; AUSTRALIA - ASIC prosecutes fake...

GLOBAL - A third of pension funds and investors plan to have over 10% of their portfolios invested in commodities over the next three years, according to a survey by Barclays Capital.

In the first of two critiques, Paul Klumpes gives his response to the UK Accounting Standards Board's recent discussion paper, The Financial Reporting of Pensions

With the increased complexity surrounding DB investment and growing competition from other providers, investment consultants are being forced to evolve their model or face an uncertain future. Jenny Blinch reports