Personal accounts could be used as a paradigm for a similar system in the US, but with a more realistic charging structure.

The biggest cliché in the readers’ advice column of the weekend money pages is that when looking to reorganise your finances, your first priority should be to pay off any debts. What is emerging as perhaps the second biggest cliché from these pages is that of the B or C-list celebrity quizzed about their view of pensions in a Q&A.

Local authority funds have been forced into making temporary settlements to ill-health early retirement applicants while arguments continue over new rules.

Protected rights pension pots can be placed in self-invested personal pensions (Sipps) from October 1, the government has announced.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has admitted that some of its members have been lacking in their promotion of the open market option (OMO).

The £15bn Shell pension scheme’s funding ratio soared to 180% at the end of last year, after long-term interest rate increases trimmed liabilities.

The growth of liability-driven investment (LDI) strategies will drive more schemes to invest in alternatives through fiduciary management over the next year.

The Pension Regulator’s proposed moral hazard powers risk outlawing non-insured buyouts – which can improve the security of pension schemes with weak sponsor covenants.

The Pensions Trust, the industry-wide scheme for charities, has hit out after its levy payments to the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) rose by £850,000 a year.

The Myners principles should be updated to give governance for delegated consulting and derivatives, according to Hewitt Associates.

Encouraging or forcing workers not to save in a workplace pension will become unlawful under proposed changes to the pensions bill.

I cannot agree with Mr Field's suggestion that those who “cannot make themselves better off by taking out a personal account should be advised to stay on pension credit” (PW 23.06.08).

Over a third (35%) of companies are looking to buy out some or all of their pension liabilities, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

The Pension Protection Fund’s (PPF) risk-based levy could collect almost £200m more than required this year due to double counting.

Aon Consulting has spent £10m updating its pensions administration systems to reposition itself as a high end service provider.

The amount of alternative assets owned by pension funds worldwide grew by 40% during 2007, according to a survey by Watson Wyatt.

The FTSE Group has launched an environmental opportunities index of more than 450 alternative energy, water and waste management companies.

UK companies offering genuine growth are starting to justify premium ratings amid slowing growth and rising inflation.

PROFILE Tom Willetts speaks to OPT founder and one of the most outspoken figures in pensions, Robin Ellison, about the restructure of a complicated system, the role of pensions and personal accounts and his solution for protecting occupational schemes

So suppose the credit crunch is here to stay – more of a ‘slow chew’ than just a crunchy bite or two. Think cereal bar rather than ginger snap.

It appears that one consequence of the credit crunch is that there are bargains to be had for the active manager

The at retirement market is set to swell over the next five years, and variable annuities are being billed as the solution for many DC consumers

Shorting is under the spotlight, as Tom Powdrill analyses some of the potential conflicts for long-term investors

In the mind

Outsourcing the administration of your pension scheme can be a major

Mark Nicoll - Investment partner and head of manager research, LCP

Ian Burton - Director, consultant relations, Insight Investment

SANDY BLACK - Head of equities, Insight Investment

NICK SYKES - European director of consulting, Mercer Investment Consulting

PETER SCALES - Independent trustee and senior adviser, AllenbridgeEpic

ANDREW CHAPMAN - Pension Investment Manager, John Lewis Partnership Pension

Grant Thornton has promoted Darren Mason to head of pensions advisory in its recovery and reorganisation team.