The hydrogen revolution is well and truly underway. The so-called “smart money”, including Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Jeff Bezos’ Climate Pledge Fund and Khosla Ventures, has placed early bets on natural hydrogen, despite uncertainties around its location and whether it can be economically extracted. Here is a brief form guide for asset owners disinclined to do their own deep due diligence.
The Coalition is reportedly considering a proposal to reduce the superannuation guarantee to 9 per cent if it wins the election. Many in the industry would understandably view any such move as a partisan effort to weaken the system, but they must also be open-minded about the evidence and accept that improving quality of service is the best response to critics.
Two years in a row, Norges Bank has topped the Global Pension Transparency Benchmark, published by Investment Magazine sister publication, Top1000funds. But when interviewed in 2023 about being awarded the most transparent fund, it was clearly a priority but not yet a completed project for the Norges Bank CEO, Nicolai Tangen. In the year since then, the fund has taken the idea of transparency and run with it, making huge gains through a concerted effort that among other things required advocating the government to make governance changes.
MUFG Pension & Market Services has enlisted a tech consultant to help expand its retirement service arm that provides super fund administration.
HESTA and super fund-owned investment vehicle IFM Investors has acquired a stake in subscription vehicles company Splend Group.
Superannuation funds are being called upon to do more to assist the millions of Baby Boomers currently transitioning to retirement. But the task of developing retirement income strategies for members has been tripped up by the nation’s notoriously complex financial advice laws. And the project’s success now hinges on a reform agenda that remains far from certain.
Some superannuation funds seem eager to hold back their delivery of better retirement outcomes to members until the financial advice reforms are bedded down, or members have more money, or the SG rate increases. But the tools are available now to provide a better solution to members. The key ingredient is keeping it simple.
In order for a superannuation fund to deliver what would be considered a leading retirement offering, they must ensure sufficient attention to the three prongs of investments, product and guidance/advice. The different objectives between retirement and accumulation suggest different strategies may be required – not just a rehash of accumulation.
Vanguard Super has appointed Jan Swinhoe and Teifi Whatley as independent directors on its trustee board, effective from 1 January 2025.
Insignia Financial boss Scott Hartley has got what every chief executive of a flagging business dreams of: a bidding war between two – and possibly more – private equity suitors for the business he’s in the process of reinvigorating. And, if a deal was to be done, how Insignia’s potential PE owner generates juicy profits out of its trustee arm will be a fascinating and instructive exercise to watch.
The $355 billion AustralianSuper has acquired a $1.4 billion European industrial and logistics portfolio, owned by OMERS real estate subsidiary Oxford Properties. The nation’s biggest fund is targeting a $7.5 billion valuation for the venture and $35 billion allocation in European and UK region before 2030, supported by its biggest international office in London with 121 employees.
Bain Capital has made a revised offer to take over ASX-listed wealth giant, Insignia Financial, matching the offer from CC Capital last week.
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Investment Magazine provides in-depth, monthly analysis of trends and developments for all the businesses in which superannuation funds engage‚ including asset allocation, investment manager selection, custody and fund accounting, member administration, group insurance and compliance.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land upon which Conexus Financial sits, the Cadigal of the Eora Nation. We recognise their continuing connection and unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and community. We pay our deepest respects to them and their culture, and to Elders both past and present.
