Global investment can change Australia’s superannuation landscape for the better

As Australian super funds face into the challenge of creating offshore teams, Mercer has scaled up its domestic super fund business to take advantage of its established global capabilities. Tim Barber explains the reasoning behind Mercer’s big transformational transaction.

Mercer becomes an active player in further industry consolidation after its acquisitions from Westpac

Mercer’s acquisition of BT Super puts the firm firmly in the industry’s top 10 and well above the magic line of $50 billion plus under management, ensuring its position in the main game.

APRA prepares to re-engage with super funds and life insurers

Over the second and third quarters of this year, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) plans to re-engage with superannuation trustees and life insurers on life insurance trends relating to premium price volatility, availability and tender practices.

Super Funds expected to move above $185 billion in private equity investments by 2025: BCG

A 2020 forecast for Australian super funds lifting their private equity investments from $80 billion to $185 billion 2025 is conservative judging by recent moves in the sector, according to Boston Consulting Group (BCG) managing director Timo Schmid.

Now the election is over it’s time for a new social compact

With the election now over and the ALP in power with a strong cross bench of independents, Australians have made it very clear that it’s time to move past the short-term, populist pitches to the electorate and time to focus on some of the many structural issues facing Australia with a whole-of-government approach.

The lifesaving shift from social distancing to social connection

As the world emerges from a pandemic, policymakers and organisations are working to stave off the public health threat of loneliness and social isolation and insurers and super funds have a key role to play.

Neurodiversity vital to a productive super industry workforce

There is untapped potential for sectors like the superannuation industry to better understand neurodiverse workers and allow them to thrive and, with the current tight employment market, now is a good time to start.

Industry reaction mixed on coalition’s Super Home Buyer Scheme

The proposal for first homeowners to take money from their super to top up their home deposit has not been welcomed by the super industry.

Deposit dipping into super not the answer to housing crisis

Morrison’s Super Home Buyer scheme, delivered on the hop during the last week of election campaigning, is not the way to solve the housing crisis, Conexus Financial CEO Fiona Reynolds writes.

Why liquidity management will be harder in a post-Covid-19 world

CIOs need more sophisticated tools to manage liquidity in a post-COVID world, experts say, now that the retirement landscape has been permanently changed following the precedent of early release schemes.

Most funds on track to producing a strategy as retirement income covenant looms

Fund directors sharpen focus on the retirement income covenant and work hard to provide retirement strategies for members as the deadline looms.