News

UK / US - Pension schemes run by FTSE -100 companies have reportedly been left reeling after last week's four-day rout in stock and bond markets, according to Hewitt Associates.

PREMIER Pension Services has launched a fresh range of small self-administered schemes designed to highlight the product as a viable alternative to self-invested personal pensions.

ASSOCIATED British Engineering is holding talks with trustees over severing ties with the defined benefit scheme during wind-up.

THE FORMER head of DTZ Investment Management has been appointed as head of property by Scottish Widows Investment Partnership.

GERMANY - ABN AMRO Mellon Global Securities Services has launched a new lending product aimed to make lending easier for Kapitalanlagegesellschafts (KAGs).

SCHEMES should submit claims for VAT refunds now to avoid missing out on part of a potentially massive HM Revenue & Customs refund, tax advisers urge.

UK - Paul Myners, chairman designate of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority, the government body which is to deliver the new national pensions savings scheme, has noted that ‘building trust' will be paramount to its success.

Pearl's intervention in Resolution merger signals ‘battle of zombies'; Pensions chief claims ‘broad support' for national scheme; Hermes chief steps down; US pension funds' lobbying fails to halt Shell work in Iran

NETHERLANDS - Dutch pension schemes ABP and PGGM have underlined their sustainable investment ambitions by increasing their stake in ethical bank, Triodos, to over 5% as part of the bank's release of over one million new shares.

UK - A Watson Wyatt survey of 202 employers found the responsiveness of providers of defined contribution (DC) pension schemes was "underwhelming".