Leadership
Gerard Noonan: Not ready to sit on the fence
The outgoing Media Super chair, Labor stalwart, staunch industry fund advocate and one-time Australian Financial Review editor says we should put the current pace of industry change into perspective. Despite a raft of ongoing debate, crises and reform, the upheaval needed to get super off the ground was a much bigger struggle.
Tahn SharpeOctober 21, 2020
Opinion
Good engagement creates better policy
The key to addressing complexity and subjectivity in my experience is through good engagement. For engagement to work there needs to be a level of trust. Trusting can be difficult when significant agency issues exist.
David BellOctober 21, 2020
Industry
Local super industry outranked by higher contributing countries
Each of the three countries ranked above Australia in the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension index – The Netherlands, Denmark and Israel – have contribution rates into their funded pension arrangements of 12 per cent or higher.
Amanda WhiteOctober 21, 2020
Policy and Regulation
Shifting policy influence resulted in poor performance test
The shift of policy influence in recent years from Treasury to the ministers’ offices has likely contributed to the design of government's new performance measurement which has been panned by experts.
Matthew SmithOctober 19, 2020
Solving the Retirement Puzzle at Scale
Data insights key to building confidence in super
The superannuation industry's ability to build member trust and engagement will rest upon its ability to harness data and use it to enhance the retirement outcomes of members, a panel has heard.
Matthew SmithOctober 19, 2020
Real Estate
Funds look to affordable housing as commercial property faces headwinds
Funds allocating to this area are finding that some forms of social housing investment helps stabilise portfolios as retail and commercial property face uncertainty.
Ben HurleyOctober 14, 2020
Insurance
Funds widely forced to reassess insurance philosophies due to Covid-19
The pandemic's economic and social impact are likely to surge in the coming months in spite of the number of claims directly related to infection with Covid-19 being minimal, MLC Insurance's Sean Williamson points out.
Ben HurleyOctober 14, 2020
Industry
Treasury didn’t consult on new benchmark
Industry has been left out of the conception of the latest performance test, described by APRA's deputy chair Helen Rowell on Monday as one of the major changes foreshadowed in the Federal Budget which is aligned with the prudential regulator's agenda.
Matthew SmithOctober 12, 2020
Investment Strategy
Grattan CEO: What the budget got right and wrong
Government should focus on building consumer confidence rather than focus on backing a private sector-led recovery, Grattan Institute CEO Danielle Wood has said.
Tahn SharpeOctober 12, 2020
Industry
Budget performance measure could lead to passive push
The Strategic Asset Allocation benchmark the government has employed to judge outperformance in its new annual performance test is expected to result in funds adapting their investment strategies to beat listed market indices.
Matthew SmithOctober 7, 2020
Industry
Stapled super to pile pressure on small to medium sized industry funds
While super stapling is a natural industry progression and a plus for consumers, the changes will curb some of the benefits smaller industry funds rely on to survive, which could further accelerate merger activity.
Tahn SharpeOctober 7, 2020
Industry
‘Psychological safety’ needed between boards and C-suites
The boards nailing their governance objectives during the pandemic are the ones that have a dynamic, open relationship with their C-suite according to Vanessa Pigrum, head of The Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership.
Tahn SharpeOctober 5, 2020
Absolute Returns Conference Digital 2020
Aware Super backing tail-risk hedging for retirement cohort
The $125 billion industry fund says that while it doesn’t make sense for younger members, retirement age members can benefit from tailored tail-risk hedging strategies as proxy guards against sequencing risk.
Tahn SharpeSeptember 30, 2020
Investment Strategy
Investors backing PE credit push in desperate yield hunt: Mehmet
Private equity is taking over the lending ranks from the banks, says Lonsec analyst Ron Mehmet. As volatility tapers off again, demand for alternative fixed income yield in Australia is making alternative avenues more and more attractive.
Tahn SharpeSeptember 30, 2020
Investment Strategy
China consumption story trumps US trade concerns
This year’s single-best trade was Chinese mid-cap semiconductor and tech stocks, according to UBS O’Connor's Kevin Russell. This illustrates how China’s domestic consumption economy allows it to combat any trade wars with the US.
Jessica SierSeptember 24, 2020
Investment Strategy
Discussions to augment alternatives strategies happening right now
APRA's heatmap will be a catalyst for changes to partnerships and structures super funds use to execute alternatives and hedge funds strategies if discussions happening at the moment are anything to go by, Cambridge Associates's Travis Schoenleber has said.
Matthew SmithSeptember 24, 2020
Operations
Costs absorption being considered for smaller super fund mergers
Industry is consulting with APRA to address the cost of merging, particularly among smaller funds where the cost to merge is preclusive to tie-ups progressing, experts have raised during an ASI digital conference panel discussion.
Matthew SmithSeptember 17, 2020
Operations
Stretched investment committees ‘doing too much’
Pressure on investment committees has increased exponentially during the pandemic as the ‘realms of the investable have completely shifted’. Willis Towers Watson consultant Rebecca Bannon believes proper instruction, delegation, and efficiency are required to keep them ticking.
Tahn SharpeSeptember 9, 2020
Operations
Intra-fund is no substitute for holistic advice
The emerging advice gap has reinvigorated industry discussions about the future of advice and the part super fund advisers will play. While intra-fund advice plays an important role in the financial system, the data shows it is no substitute for full service financial advice.
Jason AndriessenSeptember 7, 2020
Governance
APRA needs its own regulatory sandbox
APRA could consider encouraging and facilitating more innovation from the funds directly and from service providers in the ecosystem, Tahn Sharpe writes.
Tahn SharpeSeptember 2, 2020
Governance
IOOF positions itself in ‘mega fund’ pack with MLC deal
IOOF's deal to acquire MLC from National Australia Bank will catapult the diversified financial services group into the second-largest superannuation fund spot in the country by member assets and the largest based on platform funds under advice.
Matthew SmithAugust 31, 2020
Governance
Superannuation law: A matter of interpretation
It is no longer solely the domain of lawyers and judges to interpret the regulatory obligations placed on superannuation funds. It is an increasingly important skill for senior executives, risk, compliance, and even project and IT professionals.
Jonathan SteffanoniAugust 31, 2020
Sponsored Content
Market Narratives
What makes a company resilient in a crisis?
Aviva Investors looks at what resilience means in the current context, as COVID-19 hits global economies
Market Narratives
The asset manager COO: future change agent?
Change has come thick and fast to the asset management industry in recent years, driven by developments in investment strategies, technology and regulation. But now, Covid-19 and the ensuing market volatility has propelled the industry’s change agenda, with Chief Operating Officers (COOs) at the centre of this trajectory.
Lifeskills - Brought to you by AIA Australia
A new ‘normal’ in a post-COVID-19 world
Every Australian has by now been affected by COVID-19 in some way, some dramatically.
Leadership
AustralianSuper ‘re-risking’, Mark Delaney sees positive economic outlook
The world’s ability to manage Covid-19 will progressively improve over time, says Mark Delaney, the CIO of Australia’s largest superannuation fund, and the economic recovery has so far been faster than with other major recessions.
Ben HurleySeptember 14, 2020
Leadership
The Biden effect: Dalio on market reaction to US election outcome
A Biden fiscal and economic stimulus reform would involve raising company and capital gains taxes, but it would also involve raising deficits to spend more, a-la Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, an approach that could turn out to be more positive for financial markets, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio points out.
Matthew SmithSeptember 9, 2020
Leadership
Jeremy Cooper on reviews and the retirement system’s unfinished business
While the chair of the decade old Super System Review couldn't shed light on the current Retirement Income Review, he said If the superannuation system is being used for tax-advantaged inter-generational wealth transfers then those tax subsidies should be reviewed.
David BellSeptember 7, 2020
Insurance
Income protection clients need coaching more than therapy for chronic pain
A world-first “pain coach” trial between insurer AIA Australia and pain scientists including Professor Lorimer Mosley from the University of South Australia has produced some standout results.
Meredith BoothSeptember 14, 2020
Insurance
Confidence in the system needed to make good insurance decisions
Confidence needs to be restored quickly so people think about their insurance before they withdraw super or keep insurance going if they need it - CEO's of two of the country's largest insurance providers have said.
Meredith BoothAugust 21, 2020
Insurance
Pain coaching a “game changer” for life insurance industry: AIA Australia
Understanding an individual's "pain journey" can help when customers will get stuck in claims when they are dealing with chronic pain, Professor Lorimer Moseley, a pain scientist from University of South Australia explains.
Meredith BoothAugust 19, 2020
Retirement
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
Retirement
Early release and its impact on super preservation
There are many consequences of early access to super that go beyond the individual, says David Knox.
David KnoxJune 18, 2020
Receive our latest articles, profiles, news and event invitations direct to your inbox.
The leading superannuation, institutional investment and fund management publication in Australia.
November 12, 2020
Group Insurance Summit
SUITABLE FOR: Those who work within superannuation funds in executive roles and management or as a trustee or consultant.
The largest annual forum exploring the insurance trends affecting industry super funds. With a program developed for group insurance professionals by group insurance professionals, the event covers innovation in product design and the claims experience.
November 17, 2020 - November 18, 2020
Fiduciary Investors Symposium
SUITABLE FOR: CIOs, Heads of asset classes, Chairs of investment, Asset consultants.
The Fiduciary Investors Symposiums are designed to examine the management of fiduciary assets in both investment strategy and implementation, including the latest thinking relating to asset allocation, risk management, beta management and alpha generation.
January 28, 2021 - January 29, 2021
Chair Forum
SUITABLE FOR: Superannuation fund and investment committee chairs.
The forum addresses how super fund and investment committee chairs balance their increasing range of responsibilities, including board governance, strategy and delegation, investment decision- making, the economic environment, risk management and strategic asset allocation.