News

US - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has taken a substantial hit on investments in mortgage-backed securities, and its trust fund has lost at least $3bn in stock investments in the 11 months until the end of August, it has been revealed.

FRANCE - Crédit Agricole Structured Asset Management (CASAM) has announced the launch of 10 exchange traded funds (ETFs).

GLOBAL - By 2015, responsible investments (RI) will be a mainstream trend in asset management, representing a paradigm shift in the investment landscape, asset manager Robecco and consultants Booz & Co have claimed.

SOUTH KOREA - South Korea's National Pension Service, the nation's biggest investor, plans to cut its overseas investments and buy domestic bonds to help the nation weather its worst financial turmoil in a decade.

US - A US$3.9trn year-on-year decline in the value of equities held by US pension plans has prompted a warning by academics about the "fragility" of the country's emerging retirement arrangements.

GLOBAL - Watson Wyatt has restructured its manager research team in a bid to make its global methodology more consistent.

PPF set to join Lehman creditors; Time for more realism from pension fund trustees; Short selling ban to remain in force until January; ITV at new low as pension gap fuels fear for dividend; BBC pension scheme loses £1bn in value in four months

RESEARCHERS have developed a method of forecasting mortality rates that incorporates unusual events such as a bird flu epidemic or extreme weather.

KEITH BRAY and Jim Tennant have joined AllenbridgeEPIC Investment Advisers as members of its investment panel.

Pension funds look at counterparty risk; Pension savers face big charges to redeem early; UK recession likely, says Bank of England