News

NETHERLANDS - PME, the Dutch metal and electro-technical engineering sector fund, has announced its funding ratio has increased 5.2% over the past year.

Scheme sponsors must question whether they should increase discount rates automatically in line with corporate bond yields, a consultant warns.

NETHERLANDS - ABP improved its funding ratio by 6.8% in 2007, despite the impact of the credit crunch.

Scheme wind-ups will be delayed if new criteria on guaranteed minimum pension equalisation are adopted by the Pension Protection Fund, an independent trustee warns.

Brown adds to Hains woes; More Norwich Union endowments falling short; Men healthier, women longer-living

CANADA - Alberta has become the first province to allow its pension funds the permanent right to use letters of credit (LOC) to fund solvency deficiencies.

AUSTRALIA - JPMorgan has been selected to provide private equity fund administration and reporting services to AustralianSuper, its first private equity outsourcing agreement with a superannuation fund in Australia.

UK - According to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act in the UK, pension funds and industry bodies urged the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) not to implement proposals to redistribute the levy so pension schemes posing the greatest catastrophic...

UK - The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Group Pension Fund has received 76 applications for just four member nominated trustee (MNTs) positions.

UK - Smaller pension schemes have better access to liability driven investment (LDI) vehicles in an increasingly competitive market, according to new research from KPMG.