Financial Advice
Providing advice part of a fund’s responsibility: Dr Don Russell
It’s all well and good to say super is all about accumulation of funds for members during their working lives but according to AustralianSuper Chair Donald Russell funds also have a responsibility to provide advice.
Stewart HawkinsJune 11, 2021
Culture
Newly merged but open for more: Spirit’s Leeanne Turner
Spirit Super’s CEO Leeanne Turner says the new consolidated entity is not looking to become a mega-fund but is open to further mergers.
Stewart HawkinsJune 9, 2021
Financial Advice
Industry fund owned advice strategies remain static
FSSSP Financial Services, the trustee for Aware Super is the largest superannuation industry fund licensee owner on this year’s Licensee Owner's List, ranked at 14 with 242 advisers.
Matthew SmithJune 8, 2021
Leadership
Rest’s Vicki Doyle on the importance of being adaptable
Underperformance relative to the government’s proposed test could end up being a competitive advantage in the long run for funds like Rest which are now laser focused on outcomes relative to the listed eight-year benchmark, Vicki Doyle highlights in a wide-ranging interview.
Matthew SmithJune 7, 2021
Industry
Expenditure inconsistencies and tie-ups raised at Senate hearing
Fund consolidation was also a topic of conversation during Wednesday night’s Senate Estimates hearing with APRA noting it is seeing a number of funds talking about a variety of mechanisms to pool assets to get the advantages of scale outside of traditional merger arrangements.
Matthew SmithJune 2, 2021
Investment Strategy
Climate the ‘single biggest development’: UniSuper’s Pearce
It’s the opportunities created by the climate change trend that John Pearce is perhaps more keenly focused on than the exclusions, particularly as capital starts to ebb and flow on the back of broader market movements, Matthew Smith writes.
Matthew SmithMay 25, 2021
Investment Strategy
Getting to grips with greenwashing
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has taken up the baton on exposing and punishing greenwashing by Asset Managers. Alex Wise explores how the U.S. regulator is tackling greenwashing and how this might impact superannuation funds in Australia.
Alex WiseMay 19, 2021
Investment Strategy
Inside Aware’s next five-year investment strategy plan
Aware engaged consulting firm McKinsey to conduct a process which included discussions and comparisons with pension and sovereign funds around the world as part of constructing its five-year strategy which it delivered to its board in March.
Matthew SmithMay 18, 2021
Policy and Regulation
YFYS and distinguishing forest from trees
The debate around which stapling model has raged to the point where stapling works best is now at risk of not proceeding, which would be a shame because either proposed model would improve consumer outcomes, David Bell writes.
David BellMay 31, 2021
Policy and Regulation
Bill ushers in new regulator watchdog plan
Politicians just don’t have the expertise to assess the effectiveness of ASIC and APRA, the bill explains. As per Hayne’s recommendation, the new Financial Regulator Assessment Authority will be tasked with doing the job properly.
Tahn SharpeMay 22, 2021
Policy and Regulation
Super’s purpose still ill-defined
Treasurer Frydenberg has delayed outlining the government's intensions relating to the superannuation system by not defining its purpose during his budget speech and papers on Tuesday night.
Matthew SmithMay 12, 2021
Governance
Funds build brands while facing a new world of consumer choices
Super funds may have underestimated the importance of their consumer brands and member-centric operating models amid changes which will make passive fund acquisition more difficult.
Stewart HawkinsMay 19, 2021
Governance
ACSI singled out in Fed proxy advice crackdown: Louise Davidson
The six-plus page Treasury consultation paper is clearly aimed at ACSI which is the only proxy organisation that is a membership organisation whose members are super funds, Davidson highlights.
Stewart HawkinsMay 10, 2021
Governance
YFYS performance test tweaks to enhance accuracy, transparency
The inclusion of administration fees and benchmarks for unlisted infrastructure and property investments headline amendments to the Your Future, Your Super draft regulation. While flaws remain in the design, most believe the performance test has been significantly upgraded.
Tahn SharpeApril 28, 2021
Leadership
Legalsuper’s Kirsten Mander on the case for and against scale
"You can't underestimate the importance of clarity of purpose", according to Kirsten Mander who highlights the advantages of being a smaller fund amid the consolidation trend.
Stewart HawkinsJune 1, 2021
Leadership
Mental health awareness is improved, more work to be done: Super industry roundtable
Greater awareness and action towards mental wellbeing is saving lives, experts say, but workplaces in particular need to lift their game.
Ben HurleyMay 28, 2021
Leadership
Leading from 35,000 feet – treat your board as your best advisers: Alan Joyce
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce stressed the key to leading during times of crisis is seeing the big picture and tapping the experience of your own top table.
Stewart HawkinsMay 12, 2021
Insurance
Climate change – expect an increase in catastrophes and insured losses
Pricing risk in highly insured zones will benefit emerging markets, says Twelve Capital’s Urs Ramseier.
Meredith BoothMay 6, 2021
Insurance
‘Some merit’ in group insurance review: Hume
The minister expressed support for the productivity commission’s 2018 call for an independent inquiry into the “increasingly unviable” group insurance industry, while her counterpart Stephen Jones put the onus on the industry itself to demonstrate its value.
Tahn SharpeFebruary 3, 2021
Insurance
Screws tighten on trustees to justify rising insurance premiums
The recently announced duty to act in members’ best financial interests increases the likelihood that trustees will come under pressure to justify rising insurance premiums, particularly in respect of MySuper members who hold default coverage.
Richard WebbDecember 9, 2020
Retirement
It’s time to do things differently in retirement policy
After six-years in retirement income helping super funds and policymakers with their positioning, strategy and product in all things decumulation, Amara Haqqani is shifting her focus elsewhere, but not before delivering some home truths to the segment.
Amara HaqqaniMarch 24, 2021
Retirement
Simplicity and confidence key to retirement puzzle: Challenger
Finding better retirement solutions will require more than just ‘age and balance’ metrics, but the industry will need to keep things simple to retain members’ faith and their confidence to spend, according to Challenger’s Aaron Minney.
Tahn SharpeNovember 2, 2020
ArticleRetirement
Moral outrage at super system ‘justified’: Daley
The former Grattan Institute CEO isn’t pulling any punches in his assessment of the “sharp knife” that is our super system. The “20 to 30” billion dollars it costs to run our retirement savings each year may be terrific for people working in the industry, he says, but not for the rest of the country.
Tahn SharpeJuly 22, 2020
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