http://www.watsonwyatt.com Latest Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting Articles and News en-us Copyright 2009 Watson Wyatt Worldwide http://backend.userland.com/rss091 1/6/2009 12:13:16 AM 20 Singapore, 18 December 2008 - Carl Hess, global head of investment consulting at Watson Wyatt, said: “2009 will likely herald a deepening of this recession and in turn will bring a new investment regime which will be much more conservative on average than what we''ve seen over the past 20 years. [ASIA-PACIFIC]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=202752009 will likely herald a deepening of this recession and in turn will bring a new investment regime which will be much more conservative on average than what we''ve seen over the past 20 years. [EUROPE]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20238Leading global consulting firm Watson Wyatt has strengthened its investment consulting team with two new senior appointments. Ross Barry has been recruited as Head of Portfolio Construction and Diversity, and Anna Weickart has joined as a Manager Research Consultant, specialising in Australian equities. [AUSTRALIA]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20205Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm, has recommended that its clients suspend securities lending activity where possible if they are in any doubt about their lending guidelines and arrangements. The firm asserts that the risk-reward trade-off around this activity has changed and that, in some instances, it may no longer be worthwhile. However, it also warns that suspending securities lending can crystallize a loss in some cases, which should be avoided. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20167The Securities and Exchange Commission has published a detailed plan that could allow some publicly traded U.S. companies to use international accounting rules for financial reporting as early as the end of 2009, and could lead to all publicly traded U.S. companies using these rules by 2016. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20158Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm, has recommended its clients suspend securities lending activity if they are in any doubt about their lending guidelines and arrangements. [GLOBAL]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20114Many hedge funds will be forced to close and there will be significant consolidation because of market conditions and unprecedented changes to the regulatory landscape according to Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [GLOBAL]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20113Many hedge funds will be forced to close and there will be significant consolidation among the remaining, due to current market conditions and unprecedented changes to the regulatory landscape, according to Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20120The current financial crisis is creating extreme uncertainty and potentially huge increases in 2009 contribution requirements for Canadian sponsors of defined benefit plans, according to a recent analysis conducted by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm. [CANADA - ENGLISH]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20091Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm, has bolstered its UK investment consulting team with three senior appointments. [UNITED KINGDOM]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20061The economic crisis is shining a bright light on pension accounting, just as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has voted to move U.S. companies toward adopting international accounting standards. Further complicating matters, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is considering changes to its pension accounting rules, making it difficult to assess the impact of moving to international standards. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20075Before the credit crisis, experts at Watson Wyatt were predicting the growing complexity of investment products, the “short-termism” of financial markets and the increasing likelihood of extreme market events. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20077The financial crisis starkly highlights the relative pros and cons of defined benefit pensions and 401(k) plans. The predictable, mainly guaranteed income of pensions (including hybrid plans such as cash balance) contrasts sharply with the day-to-day fluctuation of 401(k) account values. [UNITED STATES]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20072The drive towards a sustainable low-carbon economy presents both risks and opportunities for the commercial real estate sector according to Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [GLOBAL]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20058What is the best strategy for retirement plan sponsors to ride out the current storm? Three Watson Wyatt experts discuss the implications of the financial crisis on investment and risk, and smart strategies for institutional investors. [GLOBAL]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20063UK - November 3, 2008 - Successful private equity managers of the future will be those that can remain disciplined through this uncertain period by carefully getting transactions done while avoiding strategy drift according to Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. [UNITED KINGDOM]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20008Successful private equity managers of the future will be those that can remain disciplined through this uncertain period by carefully getting transactions done while avoiding strategy drift. [GLOBAL]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20018Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm, has announced a number of new roles as part of the continued growth and globalisation of its manager research team within its investment consulting business. The changes mean there will now be four global leadership roles and four regional leadership roles, each reporting to Craig Baker, global head of manager research. [AUSTRALIA]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=19986UK - 24 October 2008 - Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm, has announced a number of new roles as part of the continued growth and globalisation of its manager research team within its investment consulting business. The changes mean there will now be four global leadership roles and four regional leadership roles, each reporting to Craig Baker, global head of manager research. [EUROPE]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=20032Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a leading global consulting firm has appointed Mark Brugner, in its Hong Kong office, to be responsible for manager research in Asia. [SINGAPORE]http://www.watsonwyatt.com/search/parser.asp?ID=19988