Administration & fees
Grow takeover lays bare super’s innovation problem
MUFG’s slated acquisition of Grow Inc. is a deal that makes perfect sense for pretty much everybody involved and may ultimately improve member outcomes. But it also highlights how hostile the superannuation system has become to innovation.
Investments
New Future Fund CIO eyes shifting dynamics in emerging markets
The Future Fund delivered a 14.8 per cent one-year return to June 30, 2026, attributing the return to a combination of exposure to commodities, geographic diversification, an increased focus on active management and low exposure to bonds. Newly minted chief investment officer Richard Brandweiner also highlighted strong performance in emerging markets.
Industry & regulation
ASIC will be ‘easier to deal with, harder to avoid’: Chair
Sarah Court, the new chair of ASIC, has “some sympathy” for the view that too much red tape is stymying business and productivity growth, but says that won’t stop the corporate regulator from acting swiftly to deal with misconduct and member services failures.
ESG and sustainability
Australia’s greenwashing fix has a greenwashing problem
ASFI’s sustainable finance taxonomy was meant to make greenwashing harder. But with the framework now being piloted by a slew of asset owners, banks and rating houses, there are lingering questions as to whether it does the opposite.
13 – 15 October, 2026
Fiduciary Investors Symposium
3 – 4 February, 2027
Chair Forum
18 – 20 May, 2027
Fiduciary Investors Symposium
Technology
The real warning in the Future Fund’s new AI prediction
The Future Fund’s new position paper is useful for anybody trying to imagine the possible futures of our increasingly wild present, but it is the AI threats that are already emerging that investors should spend their limited attention budget on.
Leadership & profiles
GESB CEO calls time: ‘Past regime of default super’ no longer sustainable
GESB chief executive Ben Palmer is set to leave the Western Australian government super fund, ending a 13-year tenure after steering the fund through the most significant change in its history. In a rare interview, Palmer examines the past, present and future of super and explains why GESB is treating platforms, not profit-to-member funds, as its benchmark.
Profiles
Why HESTA’s ‘joined-up thinking’ is one of its CIO’s favourite things
Sonya Sawtell-Rickson joined HESTA as the health industry workers’ super fund was taking steps towards investment internalisation and a total portfolio approach. She says the moves have been vindicated not only by member returns but in the “joined-up” conversations the now-$96 billion fund has with the companies it invests in.
Member engagement
How ‘the vibe’ is helping Aware Super win back competitive flows
While many profit-to-member funds have been shedding their members to retail platforms and SMSFs at a growing pace, Aware Super group executive for member growth Steve Travis says the fund’s investments in administration, advice and AI – and the way they’ve been received by consumers – are helping it turn the tide.
Governance
CGT, negative gearing reforms reflect Australian values
Labor has built a generational political brand, and one that endures in the face of some major challenges here and abroad, Conexus Financial founder and managing director Colin Tate told the 50th ALP National Conference in Adelaide. But it must push back against extreme demands on AI and technology if it is to boost productivity and seize a huge economic growth opportunity.
Industry & regulation
Super complaints expected to reach 8000 in 2026: AFCA
Superannuation complaints to AFCA are on track to exceed 8000 this year, a second consecutive year of around 30 per cent increases. Heather Gray, who is retiring in May after six years as lead ombudsman for superannuation, told the authority’s Member Forum that the answer to reducing complaints lies in empowering funds’ IDR teams and communicating with complainants and AFCA early. The forum heard that handling unreasonable people is a critical skill.
Industry & regulation
AI-powered cyber risks top APRA’s supervision priorities
Ensuring regulated entities are strengthening their resilience to AI-enabled cyber threats is APRA’s top supervision priority for 2026-27, according to the corporate plan it released on Wednesday, with APRA executives warning that AI is now materially changing the global cyber threat landscape.
ESG and sustainability
ASFI statement on Investment Magazine opinion
This is a response to the opinion piece on ASFI’s sustainable finance taxonomy in Investment Magazine. The Australian Taxonomy helps users check whether an activity that plays a stable or growing role in Australia’s transition makes a positive contribution to the goals of the Paris Agreement. It provides a set of technical criteria for users
Featured Homepage Posts
Aware Super hunts hidden AI exposures as concentration concern grows
The $245 billion Aware Super says that around 15 per cent of assets in its high-growth option are exposed to the AI thematic, but says that finding the portfolio’s true concentration will require looking beyond simple dollar aggregation. Head of investment strategy Michael Winchester unpacks the approach and why the fund has to be “really discerning” with where it allocates to in the future.
