Increased member engagement with superannuation funds and the improved efficiency of transferring money could combine to disastrous effect in the face of another GFC-like event, a leading superannuation researcher has cautioned. Several factors have changed since the GFC, including the introduction of SuperStream and the rise of mobile-enabled websites, enabling the behavioural bias of members … Read more
The financial services industry is plagued with chronically low levels of engagement with a nationwide study revealing one in three finance professionals is unhappy in their job. The highest levels of unhappiness were amongst Gen Y with 40 per cent reporting they work in joyless jobs, according to research by pac executive Human Capital. Those … Read more
George Fishlock is the chair of AvSuper and well known by members in the tight-knit industry of air traffic control services. Investment Magazine reports on what a close relationship with a membership can enable a fund to do. Walking around the Airservices Australia building at Melbourne Airport, the hub controlling flights over half of Australia’s airspace, many … Read more
Policies have yet to be put in place that will adequately tackle the challenges resulting from the enormous demographic shift of a growing ageing population who are living longer, the departing Shadow Assistant Treasurer Bernie Ripoll has warned. Failure to tackle retirement savings, and how long they last, will led to a fall in living standards … Read more
A concerted effort by Vision Super to ramp up the financial advice it provides has coincided with an increase in positive cash flows, roll-ins and retention rates. The number of financial advice meetings with fund members jumped from 1,431 in 2014 to 2,422 in 2015 – an increase of almost 70 per cent. In addition … Read more
HESTA has not specified a return target for its $30 million impact investment fund, reasoning the range of opportunities (including equity, property and debt) was so wide it would be inappropriate to restrict its fund manager in this way. At the beginning of September HESTA announced it had partnered with Social Ventures Australia (SVA) to … Read more
Kinetic Super has appointed Jodie Leonard as an independent director to its board, concurrently meeting two of its objectives; increased gender diversity, and getting ahead of proposed legislation to have one-third independents. Gender diversity has been advocated by the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), with a recently commissioned study showing a doubling (to 20 … Read more
Nicolette Rubinsztein is to leave her position as general manager, retirement, at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and join UniSuper’s board as an independent director from December 1, 2015. She will succeed Melda Donnelly, whose term ended in August, as the third independent on the board, bringing with her a skill set in retirement … Read more
The chairs of AvSuper and CareSuper say proposed legislative changes to superannuation boards will increase risk to a sector that has not experienced wide-spread issues with governance. While the chair of UniSuper, who is an independent, was more reticent in his criticism he too foresaw problems with changing the size of boards – a necessary … Read more
AustralianSuper is likely to have 20 people on its in-house global equities and Aussie large and small caps teams by next year as the fund grows towards $150 billion, with a further 10 looking after external manager portfolios and strategy. Innes McKeand, head of equities, believes the implementation of this strategy will save $150 million … Read more
Janice Sengupta is to pass some of her investment duties onto colleagues in Aon’s Retirement and Investment Solutions business. The move follows her promotion to head of Aon Master Trust, while remaining the chief investment officer and director of the $2.9 billion super fund. Both Aon Master Trust and Retirement and Investment Solutions are part … Read more
World leaders have called for sustainability reporting by companies to become normal practice and for such metrics to be used by investors. The UN Sustainable Development Summit at UN headquarters in New York has created global goals for stock exchanges, investors and companies. The launch was celebrated with a special closing bell ceremony at the … Read more
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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.
