with the best intentions, the four swedish buffer funds have so far been unsuccessful in meeting their target of changing the ethics of at least three to five firms

After criticising the swedish personal accounts system for being over-complicated, PADA chief Paul Myners insists the incoming uk version will have no bells and whistles

After taking criticism for financing companies manufacturing cluster bombs, the ap funds have again come under scrutiny for not having enough green investments

Swedish premium pension authority, ppm, has announced plans to halve the number of manager options from 50 to 25, but some banks want to keep their options open

Investors feel let down by the finnish government’s proposals to limit regulations to residential builds, leaving out commercial real estate and infrastructure

The recent legal dispute between unilever and its fund’s members has left many in the industry worried about setting a precedent over indexation

Dutch fund pggm’s move into selling life insurance attracts criticism from firms that believe ‘pggm’ name provides an unfair competitive advantage

In a bid to salvage its members’ £355m pension scheme, northern rock has shifted into bonds, unfortunately locking in deficits of £100m as a result

Amid criticism regarding governmental control over ethical decisions, sweden aims to follow the norwegian government pension fund model as its blueprint

Ethical investment is fine in principle, but how many funds are actually living up to the rhetoric? It is time for investors to put their money where their mouth is

Globalisation has forced asset managers and pension funds to think internationally, but as asset class correlation increases diversification might be harder to come by

Restrictive regulation and credit crunch impact have left many questioning the value of commission recapture, but many still believe it is alive and well

The buyout market is buoyant, or so the high profile deals would have you believe. However, new research shows take-up is actually less than last year

The continuous changes in financial markets have left the once pertinent investment regulations in sweden in dire need of modernisation

Institutions are looking towards hedge fund replication as a lower-cost and more transparent alternative, but the current hype may be over-selling their potential

Change of fortune could be reversed if stocks slide

Foreign business continues to make up a small proportion of asset manager clients

Hermes’ expanding corporate governance platform picked up two new pension fund clients last month. Both PKA, the E15.4bn Danish fund, and the Irish National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF), which has E21bn of assets under management, have signed up to the manager’s Equity Ownership Service (EOS).

MP Pension’s merger with AP and PJD signals move towards larger schemes

Study reveals funding problems caused by bad risk management, not asset allocation

Older generation still making a significant contribution to society, reveals study

Badly conceived changes to regulatory environment may influence pension behaviour

Niche funds getting too expensive and may disappear from premium pension system

Altis unveils fiduciary ‘insourcing’ concept in response to massive outsourcing take-up

Introduction of Reits makes entrance to property market simpler, growth predicted

Move is set to highlight companies’ life expectancy calculation problems

Over 3,500 companies to be screened to identify possible convention violations

China leads in equity stakes, while Nordics struggle to match 2005 results

EU Insolvency Directive was breached, says European Court of Justice

Healthy results prefigure e209bn fund’s fresh tactics

After 2005’s bumper returns, 2006 proved to be a tough year for some of the Netherlands’ leading pension funds.

Custody market wakes up to new major asset manager

Investment associates welcome recommendations for private placement regime on hedge funds and private equity

Pension funds search for mortality bonds counterparty

Experts say pension funds should not be fobbed off by brokers’ claims that low rates mean recapture is dead

Consortia may be best suited in closed scheme arena

Thomas Escritt put questions to Con Keating, principal at the Finance Development Centre in London, and a trustee of several pension funds, about the phenomenon of the buyout market

MGI to tap research capabilities of consulting arm

Extra financial-reporting to ensure SRI compliance

Funds want global and emerging market equities while managers push LDI

Eurosif report sees sector move into the mainstream

Differing regulatory environments fuel funding deficits

IFRS accounting standards reveal extent of shortfall

Firms should audit employee benefits before October

Research suggests that value added from consultants’ manager selection is questionable

Overseas equity investment increases as schemes search for liability-matching assets

Major structural shift in European funds sees continued use of derivative instruments

Optimism eroded as investors look for signs of recovery

UK sponsors welcome softening of proposed stringent funding requirements

Finansinspektionen evaluates first submissions under new traffic light system

Increase in information volumes means technology will be the biggest challenge

Watson Wyatt thinking on endowment-style investing follows greater industry DC focus

Some 50 UK/Irish schemes look for regulator approval

Paying off a few small outstanding bills could potentially hugely reduce a UK company’s PPF levy says Aon Consulting.

Investment management M&A activity could spur much-needed industry shake out

While BlackRock’s purchase of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers creates a top-10 worldwide asset manager with combined assets of $1 trillion under management, the market is sceptical as to whether the buy out will be beneficial for existing pension fund clients.

Norway up 28 per cent from 2004 and tops European performance leagues

Keating/SEI report puts FTK cost at a minimum of 10 per cent of Dutch GDP

Commodities and alternatives back up a solid performance from equities in 2005

PPM’s almost 700 funds has meant that Swedes have been spoilt for pension choice

Sainsbury’s E3bn UK fund joins other large peers in considering swaps as a solution

Schemes with lower funding targets or longer recovery plans in line for inspection

Funds cut Danish equity exposure and increase allocations to foreign bonds

Cross-party consensus on 401(k) Deutschland could indicate pension policy change

The European Commission asset management green paper makes the case for enhacement and better interpretation of Ucits rather than wholesale reform, although the Commission has effectively postponed any tough decisions until next year. Elizabeth Cripps talks to leading players and rounds up the talking points for the year ahead

The European Commission should speed up its efforts to facilitate the pooling of fund assets, according to a report published by the UK Investment Management Association. Pension and investment regulators familiar with pooling should also help to educate their less knowledgeable counterparts.

Less than six months before the implementation of the FTK, attention is focusing on the cost of the regime. There is now a broad political consensus in the Netherlands that the 12-month recovery period is a one-size-fits-all approach in need of some adjustment. Bram van den Oever spoke to the politicians pushing for change