News

UK - Senior correspondent Giovanni Legorano speaks to Steve Delo former chairman of the Pensions Management Institute/Independent Trustee, PAN Governance and Michael Chatterton, head of settlement solutions at Watson Wyatt.

A large number of businesses have been forced to scrap restructuring plans because of the section 75 employer debt regime, delegates heard.

EUROPE - European fund managers broke with global trends and switched into defensive stocks in recent weeks, according to Bank of America's (BofA) latest fund manager survey.

US - The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System has issued a request for information for specialist private equity and real estate consultants.

FRANCE - The Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites (FRR) has hired six firms to run a combined €4bn (US$5.9bn) in inflation-linked bond mandates.

UK - Trustees and sponsor companies should look at the company's defined benefit scheme as if it were a subsidiary of the sponsor company, Watson Wyatt head of settlement solutions Michael Chatterton said.

AUSTRALIA - Australian superannuation provider AMP will increase the pension contributions it pays for its employees to 12% from the mandatory 9% by 2014.

US - A US court has agreed to release documents Bank of America provided to Congress and investigators to plaintiffs that have brought a class action suit against the firm in regards to its acquisition of Merrill Lynch.

Asset liability models have a vital role to play in the investment decision making of pension fund managers, Lane Clark & Peacock says.

Companies should adopt proactive policies to keep employees in work for longer, as increasing longevity places pressure on schemes, delegates heard.