News

GLOBAL - A correction in the commodities market is giving pension funds a chance to increase their allocation to the asset class, providing additional portfolio diversification and inflation hedges.

US - The Pension Protection Act 2006 (PPA) has had a positive effect on 401(k) plan participation and contributions, according to a survey of 2,200 defined contribution (DC) plans by Vanguard Investments.

US - The union involved in ongoing discussions with Boeing over pay and pension agreement has urged members to strike.

Firms plan to cut payments into final salary schemes; Dresdner Kleinwort to slash London jobs after takeover by Commerzbank; Pound falls to two-year low on Darling blunder; Recession fears: Markets reel from Darling downturn talk

UK - Lancashire County Council pension fund has placed a specialist global passive mandate worth £350m (US$630m) out to tender.

US - Cash balance pension plans have again become a viable option for companies in the US after a series of appeals court rulings put an end to uncertainty surrounding their future.

US - New Jersey's Treasury Department can move ahead with planned investments into hedge funds and private equities after a state appeals court rejected a challenge from two of the state's largest unions.

EUROPE - A growing move by pension funds towards hedge fund replication has prompted a warning they could be missing out on the returns offered by funds of hedge funds.

INDIA - More than 15 of the world's top 20 global pension funds are making investments in India, according to Watson Wyatt.

US - The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) has criticised institutional fund manager Hermes over poor performance in one of its portfolios.