News

Life expectancy gap widens; Prudential puts back decision on £9bn surplus; Rival Northern Rock offer expected to please shareholders

US - The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) has mooted a radical restructuring of its public equities allocations, with a greater emphasis on international equities.

UK - More pension schemes could be made to pay the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) levy, after the funding level at which schemes pay no risk-based levy was raised from 125% to 140%.

Schemes must now be 140pc funded to avoid paying the Pension Protection Fund risk-based levy, a new policy paper has confirmed.

GLOBAL - The International Organisation of Pension Supervisors (IOPS) has elected Ross Jones, deputy chairman of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, as president.

Deal ends postal strikes; Payments to rise after PPF overrules its own adviser; Barclays calms investors with solid update; Darling told that he faces the prospect of ‘tax rage'

INCLUDING: UK - LCP offers guide to scheme buyouts; AUSTRALIA - Watson Wyatt strengthens global manager research team; UK - Watson Wyatt appoints sustainability manager; US - 401(k) participation driven by automatic enrolment; UK - Punter Southall appoints...

CANADA - A court case over the solvency deficiency in the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool/Grain Services Union (SWP/GSU) Pension Plan has been postponed after agri-business Viterra put an offer on the table.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has issued its updated corporate governance policy and voting guidelines designed to help shareholders and stakeholders interpret the Combined Code when considering voting decisions at company meetings....

The Pensions Regulator has shown it is prepared to act quickly and decisively in situations where potential trustee conflicts of interest arise after a buyout, lawyers say.