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
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
Fund 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
Industry
IOOF Vanguard index mandate goes to Invesco
Twenty-three billion dollars previously managed by Vanguard on behalf of IOOF spread across 14 index strategies has landed with Invesco.
Matthew SmithMay 10, 2021
Investment Strategy
Learn from the data and don’t fear change
Signals and noise can dominate the minds of investors but relying on the uncompromising clarity of statistics may provide a complex but effective path according to Fort L.P.'s Alan Marantz.
Jessica SierMay 6, 2021
Investment Strategy
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
Investment Strategy
Beware highly leveraged and less-liquid strategies
Troubled times expose the vulnerability of managers without contingency funds which may prevent them from pulling different levers during a crisis and staying on top.
Jessica SierMay 6, 2021
Investment Strategy
Enterprise software companies set to boom in APAC: Vista’s Robert Smith
Not only have many such companies survived the COVID-19 pandemic the increased use of technology has accelerated their gains.
Amanda WhiteMay 5, 2021
Policy and Regulation
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
Policy and Regulation
YFYS performance test: Implications for ESG
Strategies that have a lower alignment to the performance test benchmarks could become high risk for trustees as they could lead to failure of the test, over certain periods, despite longer-term outperformance, Mercer's Barlow points out.
Emily BarlowMarch 31, 2021
Policy and Regulation
How funds foot penalties and remediation still not clear
Even in cases where remediation programs have begun or actions have been taken and where remediation is possible, regulators and government remain unclear about how trustees can direct funds to pay without impacting member balances, a House or Reps committee has heard.
Matthew SmithMarch 29, 2021
Governance
Funds are deep in listed benchmark comparison analysis: Frontier
Funds well ahead of the listed benchmark will have the luxury of continuing to focus on their CPI-plus or peer performance expectations and not be too concerned about the YFYS test in the near term, Frontier's Paul Newfield notes.
Matthew SmithApril 26, 2021
Governance
Holistic equities approach needed for climate change action
Australia’s $2.9 trillion of superannuation assets are becoming an increasingly powerful force for action on climate change, but experts are calling for a more holistic approach to equities that covers the entire value chain.
Ben HurleyApril 16, 2021
Governance
Funds are holding 100s of millions in excess reserves: Analysis
Some of the country’s largest funds have in some cases accrued more than nine-times the operational risk financial reserve requirement set by APRA with a handful of large funds bulking up their general reserves.
Matthew SmithApril 14, 2021
Leadership
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
Leadership
Rejecting Covid vaccine ‘unfair’: Dr John Fraser
While he doesn't advocate forced vaccinations, the world-renowned medical professor and heart and lung intensive care specialist expressed frustration with poor leadership and the media "beat up" on blood clots, which has undermined confidence in the global vaccine rollout.
Tahn SharpeMarch 24, 2021
Leadership
UniSuper’s O’Sullivan on his legacy and life after stapling
UniSuper's biggest challenges might well land on the shoulders of O'Sullivan's successor in light of the hit the fund will take to cashflows if so called 'stapling' proposals are passed.
Matthew SmithMarch 22, 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
Insurance
AIA Australia’s Mu voices support for stapling reforms
It’s time to take the opportunity to think differently about insurance in superannuation, AIA Australia chief executive Damien Mu has said.
Matthew SmithNovember 20, 2020
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
Retirement
Pension Loan Scheme provides a comfortable retirement
Most Australians believe they are ineligible but changes to a Government loan scheme may augment retirement income for many, says Rice Warner chief Andrew Boal.
Meredith BoothJune 24, 2020
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