Spain

SPAIN - The Spanish government is set to freeze state pensions for 2011 as part of a package of measures aimed at reducing the country's ballooning deficit and send a positive signal to markets.

SPAIN/EUROPE - Schemes will be able to reclaim withholding taxes from Spain after the country's government amended legislation on the tax treatment of dividends.

SPAIN - The two major Spanish trade unions are organising over 100 public protests against the government's plan to raise the retirement age by two years.

SPAIN - The Spanish government denied it planned to increase the number of contributory years needed to retire, but said it would continue with plans to raise the pension age by two years.

SPAIN - Assets under management (AUM) of pension funds falling under the individual system category increased by 6.9% in 2009 to €51.6bn (US$74.8bn) largely due to positive investment returns, data from research company VDOS Stochastics revealed.

GLOBAL - Lane Clark & Peacock LLP (LCP) has partnered with Spanish consultant Novaster, in a bid to expand its reach in Spain and Latin America.

SPAIN - Assets under management of pension funds falling under the individual system category decreased 0.63% during the month of October, data from research company VDOS Stochastics revealed.

SPAIN - Spanish defined contribution plans posted positive annual results for the first time since 2007, data from the Asociación de Instituciones de Inversión Colectiva y Fondos de Pensiones (Inverco) revealed.

SPAIN - Assets under management of Spanish pension funds suffered a 3.75% year-on-year decline due to market performance and reduced members' contribution, data by the Inverco reveal.

SPAIN - Fonditel, the pension fund manager for Spanish telecoms giant Telefónica, is reviewing ways it can reposition the firm in order to boost returns going forward.