First State Super’s fintech investment manages risk of bank exposure

Fintech venture capital is being used by First State Super to manage risk towards its large exposure to traditional financial services. Australian superannuation has a significant concentration to financial services through its exposure to big banks and other financial institutions – an area that is a likely target for disruptive business models given the size … Read more

LGS Super’s high carbon negative screen delivers 16 basis points

LGS Super’s high carbon negative screen has resulted in a 16 basis point positive impact on the fund for the year, while only taking 8 basis points of tracking error. The screen was put in place a year ago to reduce the $8.9 billion fund’s exposure to companies whose carbon operations exceeded 33 per cent, … Read more

UniSuper gives members pay or contribution flexibility

UniSuper is to launch a comprehensive income product for retirement within two years that will give members the flexibility to dial up or down income. The flexibility recognises the changing needs of members in retirement, a freedom it will also extend to the accumulation phase by offering the flexibility to members to exchange some of … Read more

The premium gamble: member ineligibility in group insurance

Up to 2.5 million people who are paying premiums for group insurance offered through superannuation need to examine their eligibility, as differences between super funds’ policies could mean they have reduced cover, or even none at all. Investment Magazine investigates. For the vast majority, group insurance is working well, providing cover to a nation that has historically been … Read more

Legislation in vain

The very best legislation often comes about after there is a crisis, an independent investigation with recommendations that turn into laws that cut the chance of the original crisis occurring again. The lack of credibility for the proposed superannuation governance changes, which were defeated in the Senate last week, arose from the absence of a … Read more

Three reasons super funds are switching custodians

The three big trends leading to an increase in investors switching their custodians over the past two years are more competitive prices, greater service provisions and the funds’ greater allocations to overseas investments. This is according to Drew Vaughan, owner of Dymond, Foulds & Vaughan, who will be chairing a session on custodians at the … Read more

Steve Merlicek: the turnaround manager of IOOF

With 16 years’ experience Steve Merlicek is the longest serving chief investment officer in Australia; and after spending six of those years at IOOF he is seeing a fine run of performance. When Steve Merlicek arrived at IOOF in 2009 the then United Capital Growth fund was bottom or close to bottom of most performance surveys. He was … Read more

AIST viewpoint: Fairness in super

Concerned for a fairer superannuation system based on realistic expectations of what the system can deliver, Tom Garcia, chief executive of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees says rebalancing tax concessions must primarily improve the retirement outlook for low- to middle-income earners. There has been a welcome shift in the tenor of the debate about superannuation tax reform. Super … Read more

Compulsory code of conduct to apply to not-for-profit super funds

A compulsory best practice code of conduct for not-for-profit funds will be developed by April 30, 2016, following a review of governance by the former RBA Governor and Treasury Secretary. The Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) and Industry Super Australia (ISA) agreed to undertake a comprehensive review of not-for-profit fund governance as part of … Read more

$3bn Tasplan to consider 5pc Tasmanian investments

The newly merged $3.3 billion Tasplan has increased its commitment to invest in Tasmania, and sees potential to build the allocation up to 5 per cent of the fund. Tasplan’s Tasmanian Growth and Development Fund – a joint venture with Nekon, a local property developer and investor – is expected to invest in areas such … Read more

Is global listed infrastructure really an asset class?

Global listed infrastructure should not be classified as a separate asset class owing to the similarity of risk adjusted returns to global utility stocks, claims a leading academic. A presentation at the CSIRO-Monash Superannuation Research Cluster annual conference in Melbourne, given by associate professor Robert Bianchi of Griffith University, said the case was true for … Read more