Mercer

Nissan Motors has appointed Mercer as global retirement consultant in a bid to strengthen its pensions governance structures.

GLOBAL - Nissan Motors has appointed Mercer as global retirement consultant in a bid to strengthen its pensions governance structures.

Matthew Craig highlights the importance of monitoring custodians

Apache and FirstGroup have outsourced their pension investment decision making to Mercer's implemented consulting practice.

US - The recovery in equity markets last year helped to improve the funded status of US pension funds, adding an estimated US$180bn to balance sheets, according to a leading pensions' consultancy.

NETHERLANDS - De Nederlandsche Bank, the Dutch central bank, said it plans to improve the risk management functions at local pension funds after a review of the industry found schemes took on too much investment risk.

Each month DC World asks readers for their views. This month we ask: What do you think will be the key issues facing DC schemes in 2010?

One in four employers have reduced their benefit costs by implementing a flexible benefits scheme, Mercer says.

Overall investment manager search activity increased in the UK during the first nine months of the year, Mercer says.

UK - Overall investment manager search activity increased in the UK during the first nine months of the year in a sign activity is returning to pre-credit crunch levels, Mercer said.