The number of ‘trustees’ – the companies which govern super funds – is expected to total about 320 after the Registrable Superannuation Entity licensing deadline of June 30. This compares with 1,200 pre licensing.
APRA has pointed out that discussions at this month’s Conference of Major Superannuation Funds included this estimate as being the likely number of ‘funds’ to exist post licensing. The number of funds, most of which are sponsored by companies which have outsourced their trustee and other super functions, will actually be about 7,280. But this figure is also in decline – it compares with 9,500 pre licensing.
There is one investment area where Insignia’s $180 billion super arm has not lost money for the past 17 years, which is what it calls the insurance-related investments. The alternatives strategy is gaining popularity among asset owners due to its diversification benefit, but Insignia’s super and asset management investment chief Dan Farmer warns it is a space where investors can suffer if they “stumble in without doing the homework”.
Darcy SongJanuary 23, 2025
