News in brief

UK - Buck Consultants new appointment

Buck Consultants has announced the appointment of Anna Marie Detert as head of its human capital and communication practice.

Detert has joined from Towers Perrin, where she was a senior consultant. Buck said she would be advising clients on a range of human capital issues, focusing on managing change and engagement, reward and performance management and talent management.

GLOBAL - Commodities driven by momentum-chasing

Momentum-chasing and attempts at diversification by investors have driven inflows into commodities, a report by Lehman Brothers has revealed.

The Commodities Special Report showed the indices' effect on price returns remained ambiguous. Lehman said index inflows seemed to have a positive, albeit weak, effect on market volatility. The long term growth of market size and liquidity would eventually improve efficiency and diminish short-run distortions. More market transparency could provide immediate benefits, they concluded.

UK - Aon warns on regulation on DB pension transfers

Aon Consulting has warned "unnecessary regulation could sound the death knell for defined benefit pension transfers", following last week's calls for clear regulations on cash inducements to members transferring out of a scheme.

Paul McGlone, principal and actuary, Aon Consulting, said calls for further regulation in this area could result in a situation where scheme members were worse off because of increased bureaucracy and greater costs, leading to companies finding transfers less palatable to offer.

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