As services shift and evolve, processes become increasingly important, writes David Campbell.

Will the current round of regulatory prescriptions strengthen Ucits middle office practices? asks Dario Cintioli.

The combined power of consultants and asset managers can only lead to investors’ gaining a better service, writes Julian Lyne.

The decision-making in many UK DB schemes has not kept pace with change in the investment landscape, writes Sorca Kelly-Scholte.

European assets under management are receiving a welcome boost from exchange traded products, writes Nizam Hamid.

Structured cost management achieves superior returns, but few in the industry have moved past traditional means, writes Michael Pinedo.

Data management has always been a concern, but less talk and more action means firms must put plans in place now, writes Peter Ellis.

Conflicts of interest at the start of the recession led to much negative debate between lenders and borrowers, writes Yves Josseaume.

Longevity swaps have been popular with insurers in managing risk, but now pension funds are also realising the benefits, writes Gordon Fletcher.

Against the backdrop of the financial crisis, the upside potential of equity and credit markets can be fully realised, writes Lionel Martellini.

Equities may be set to start offering positive returns, but they will remain extremely volatile, especially in the short-term, writes Robert Ross.

Pension fund trustees should be getting properly independent advice, writes Patrick McCoy, but is this the case?

Diversification may not have protected portfolios as well as had been hoped but the strategy remains sound, writes Lloyd Raynor.

Pension funds are keener than ever to diversify asset allocations in light of the financial crisis, and also plan to review their choice of investment managers, writes Vicken Berberian.

These are difficult times for pension funds but those with the correct governance for their investment strategies will fare best, writes Robert Brown.

Low-volatility strategies have the potential for improving the risk/return characteristics of an equity portfolio writes Brendan Bradley.

Despite higher volatility, emerging market equities still offer great opportunities for the smart investor, writes Ben Clissold.

Following the collapse of real gilt yields in recent months, pension plan trustees are looking for alternative ways to manage risk, writes James Maggs.

The market for the buyout of existing pensioner liabilities can offer fantastic opportunities, writes Andrew Dawson.

Unconstrained investing gives managers the freedom to follow their best ideas, enabling skilled managers to excel, writes Lennox Hartman.

Increasing risk aversion as a result of the liquidity crisis has hit small and mid-cap stocks hard, writes Aymeric Poizot.

The liquidity crisis that started in July 2007 in the US real estate market has triggered a “flight to quality” phenomenon, which has led investors to move their capital to “safer” assets.

Dawid Konotey-Ahulu explains three complementary approaches to measuring risk within pension funds.