While other Nordic pension funds are focusing on beating the credit crisis and taking advantage of more liberal investment regulations, administrative costs has emerged as the hottest topic in the Danish pensions industry. The Competition Authority has encouraged the industry to take action to reduce administrative costs and increase transparency (see page 13).

Fidelity Investments is planning to open its second office in the Nordic region. The firm, which has been based in Stockholm for 12 years, believes it now has enough scale and mass to increase its presence. By Caroline Liinanki.

Sweden

Johan Hellman has been appointed as director-general of Premiepensionsmyndigheten (PPM), the Swedish premium pension authority. Mr Hellman has been acting director-general since the departure of Christina Lindenius last year.

AP1, the SKr218.79bn (€23.27bn) Swedish buffer fund, is to increase its reliance on equities at the expense of its bond holdings.

Varma has criticised exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for not providing anything different from existing investment options. The firm, Finland’s largest pension insurer, is considering reducing its exposure to the vehicle.

Sampension, the €12.5bn Danish pension management company, is set to invest in energy-linked equities, and has put its planned moves into commodities on hold.

Stephen Hirsch has been appointed as deputy chief executive officer (CEO) of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) and will become second in command after CEO Yngve Slyngstad. Mr Hirsch has previously been chief operating officer at NBIM, which manages Norway’s Government Pension Fund – Global and the bulk of Norges Bank’s foreign exchange reserves.

The world-leading responsible investment regulations championed by the Norwegian government are set for more changes. Caroline Liinanki investigates the further improvements planned for the government fund.

In what most analysts see as a positive move towards a fairer and more competitive Finnish pensions market, the country’s pensions insurers are fuming about next year’s regulatory changes. Spencer Anderson investigates.

With increasing pressure from the public and political arenas, Danish pension funds are fighting back against allegations of a lack of competition, writes Caroline Liinanki.

More freedom of investments and increasing pressure to diversify has made Icelandic pension funds look at a wider range of assets. Spencer Anderson and Caroline Liinanki find out what the future holds

After years of avoiding the topic, Swedish politicians have finally started discussing whether 800 funds might be causing confusion in the public arena. Caroline Liinanki investigates.

Rather than playing it safe, PensionDanmark has met the tough times with shapeshifting tactics, writes Caroline Liinanki.

After weathering the storm and beating its benchmark, Sweden’s first national buffer fund welcomes aboard a new captain, writes Chris Newlands.

Finland’s largest pension insurance company made bold changes to its asset allocation after the negative returns of this year’s first quarter. Risto Murto, Varma’s chief investment officer, tells Caroline Liinanki why commodities and hedge funds are the way forward.

As interest in commodities sparks in the region, Nordic pension funds are taking different approaches to protect their investments. Caroline Liinanki investigates.

Even with its success in the Netherlands, the Nordic region needs more convincing to warm to the idea of fiduciary manage-ment, writes Spencer Anderson and Caroline Liinanki.

Michael Marks, head of BlackRock Solutions EMEA, and Peter Leane, head of the Nordic region at BlackRock, investigate the implications of the credit crisis for risk management.

With short-term benefits such as heavily discounted bonds and encouraging long-term signs in emerging market debt, global markets have a lot to offer.

At the extreme end of the socially responsible investment debate is the indirect funding of companies that manufacture materials used to build cluster bombs. By Reinhilde Weidacher.

Perhaps one of Europe’s most intriguing pension markets, Poland is

preparing for a relatively radical change in the way it limits

foreign investment. Spencer Anderson investigate