Towers Watson

Schroders has created two senior roles in its liability driven investment (LDI) division, expanding its risk management capability.

Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) has created a client strategy team, aimed at boosting delivery of its integrated de-risking solutions.

The Department for Work and Pensions has been criticised over its plan to ban short service refunds before putting in place an automatic transfer system.

Paul Trickett has been appointed to trustee chairman roles at Zurich Financial Services UK Pension Scheme and Legal & General (L&G) WorkSave master trust.

Last year's dip in the buy-in and buyout market was due to trustees focusing on triennial valuations and schemes being unprepared to transact, say insurers.

Market movements in the first quarter of the year have had a mixed effect on the bulk annuity market and pushed up the cost of buy-ins and buyouts, says Towers Watson.

The amount employers are paying into schemes hit record levels last year as defined benefit deficits continued to warrant cash injections, research from Towers Watson shows.

The Office for National Statistics' decision to downgrade the status of the retail prices index and publish two additional inflation measures could lead to the index being dropped, warn consultants.

The Institute of Cancer Research Pension Scheme has swapped its gilt portfolio for a £30m buy-in with Pensions Insurance Corporation as part of its investment strategy.

PwC has expanded its defined contribution consulting business with the appointment of Paul Woods.