News

UK - Pension funds cannot use equities as inflation hedging assets in a deflationary environment such as the one currently being experienced, investment bankers say.

Complying with auto-enrolment regulations will cost businesses £3bn and force them to make significant scheme design changes, consultants warn.

US - Workers must contribute more to their 401(k)s or stay employed longer in order to make up for the damage caused to retirement funds during 2008, Hewitt has warned.

IRELAND- The European Central Bank has told Irish regulators that central bank and Financial Services Authority staff cannot be subject to the proposed pension levy.

US- CalSTRS staff could shift some US$8bn in securities, mostly from equities and into higher returning debt instruments, as it moves to make opportunistic investments to boost alpha.

GLOBAL - As investment volatility continues to play havoc with pension fund values scheme managers are bracing themselves for a deluge of calls from investors wanting more information about their fund's performance.

The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority has appointed Helen Dean to its board as its policy and product development director.

UK - Former Credit Suisse head of transition management Graham Dixon has been appointed as a director at manager evaluation firm Inalytics.

US - California state comptroller John Chiang has warned that the state cannot depend on surpluses from CalPERS to help shore up the state's health and dental liabilities for retired workers.

UK - Brevan Howard Asset Management has launched its first UCITS III fund, the Brevan Howard Absolute Return Bond Plus Fund, targeted at pension funds and other institutional investors.