Regulation

NETEHRLANDS - Economic policy adviser CPB has urged the Dutch government to start the state retirement age reform no later than 2015 instead of waiting until 2020.

Most UK companies will continue to run final salary schemes in the short-term despite crippling liabilities, research from the Confederation of British Industry and Watson Wyatt reveals.

US - The chairman of private equity firm Markstone Capital Group has pleaded guilty in the on-going investigation of pay-to-play kickback schemes at the New York State Common Retirement Fund (CRF).

John Quarrell has slammed a Pensions Regulator determination barring him, his partner and his trustee firm from working as a trustee.

US - Verizon retirees have sued the telephone company alleging they had been illegally transferred and, as a result penalized, to the pension plans sponsored by Idearc, a now bankrupt company.

John Quarrell and his trustee firm Quarters Trustees have been struck off in a damning ruling from The Pensions Regulator's determinations panel.

US - A group of AK Steel retirees will receive over US$51m as a compensation for having been paid less than the full accrued benefit due to them under the AK Steel Pension Plan.

UK - Ofcom has published a consultation on how it accounts for BT's pension costs when setting regulated wholesale charges for telecommunications services.

The Pensions Regulator has issued revised internal controls guidance for consultation, as part of a campaign to improve scheme governance and administration standards.

UK - The Information Commissioner's Office has ruled Verity Trustees, the independent trustees for The Pensions Trust, breached the Data Protection Act when unencrypted personal data of 110,000 scheme members was stolen from its software provider.