News

UK/ CANADA - Last week's passage of the Ontario budget gave approval for the Nortel pension plan to put through what could be North America's first pension buyout. Ronald Olsen, vice president at Sibson Consulting, who assisted the plan with its proposal,...

UK/IRELAND - Stricter regulations around pension funds will spur the development of the buyout market in Ireland, an LCP official said.

Dairy Crest, which closed its defined benefit scheme to future accrual last year, has cut its deficit by about £82m on an accounting basis.

NETHERLANDS - Dutch pension fund manager PGGM has formed a joint venture with infrastructure public private partnership investor BAM PPP in what the two say is the first deal of its kind in Europe.

AUSTRALIA - Michele Dolin will step down as CEO of GESB, the AU$12bn (US$12.7bn) superannuation and retirement services entity owned by the state of Western Australia.

AUSTRALIA - The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) have released a report concluding raising the mandatory contribution rate to 12% from 9% would result in stronger retirement adequacy than would proposals to reform the country's...

UK - Imminent changes to accounting standard IAS19 could dent UK company profits by as much as £10bn ($16bn), KPMG warns.

Jonathan Stapleton looks at KPMG's 2011 Pensions Accounting Survey and discovers it paints a much rosier picture for UK schemes.

Defined benefit schemes are failing to hedge against the threat of sponsor default or contribution curtailment, despite recognising this as their major risk, research shows.

Tui Travel uses brand value to cut pension costs; TUI uses Thomson and First Choice brands to plug pension hole; Public sector unions to ballot over pensions and job cuts as talks stall; Lib Dems rebel on women's pensions; Commentary: a fairer way to...