AON Master Trust has appointed its chief investment officer, Janice Sengupta, as its new head. Sengupta will continue in her role as chief investment officer while taking on the additional duties, as part of the fund’s strategy to be nimble and lean. “We are excited to have Janice spearhead the Aon Master Trust team, a … Read more
Equip’s MyPension product was designed specifically to reduce risks – including behavioural biases – for the vast majority of its members who would never see a financial planner, delegates heard at an Investment Management Consultants Association seminar. As Australians generally have very little financial literacy it was important to design a product that could be clearly communicated … Read more
A world-leading professor of finance has argued that hedge funds have retained a positive value proposition in the wake of the GFC. Professor Stephen Brown of NYU Stern School of Business also told attendees at a Centre for International Finance and Regulation seminar in Sydney this morning that operational due diligence can add 250bps per … Read more
The China Investment Corporation (CIC) has taken advantage of the low Australian dollar to purchase nine office towers in Melbourne and Sydney for $2.45 billion, making it reportedly the biggest direct real estate transaction in Australia’s history. A second announcement that has received less media scrutiny is the NSW government advertising campaign on how Sydney’s infrastructure … Read more
I have followed with great interest the debate that has been taking place in your magazine over recent weeks about the classification of “growth” and “defensive” assets for superannuation funds. This is an important topic, and the current discussion and debate is timely. The primary purpose of superannuation is to provide retirement income. By its … Read more
Two thirds of older workers are satisfied they have sufficient funds put aside to retire, a significant increase from 2012 where satisfaction levels with retirement savings were below 50 per cent, according to the Financial Services Council (FSC) – Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s (CBA) Older Workers Report 2015. The report also found close to three … Read more
The marketing departments of superannuation funds are facing a growing array of communication choices with the old fashioned press release of declining importance. Delegates at the AIST’s Marketing Ideas Exchange in Melbourne heard from Paul Cheal, general manager and partner at Honner, on how super funds can reach their members through social media or self-publication. … Read more
There is a popular narrative that runs “investment consultants are struggling to retain their place and importance as super funds increase internal teams and become more self -reliant”. To make things worse leading funds have been successful in poaching their favourite consultants to work in-house, e.g. Jonathan Stanford leaving JANA to work for HOSTPLUS, Kristian … Read more
The Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees’ (AIST) submission, in reply to the draft legislation to change the governance structure of super funds, has heavily condemned the approach of the Government as risky and not supported by evidence. By contrast, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) says the proposal reflects changing community expectations, the … Read more
No one is quite sure what the impact of US quantitative easing will be. Most commentary is that any interest rate rise will be slow and steady. But there is a huge divergence between the forecast for 2017 by the US Fed (as measured by the FOMC dot plot) and the market’s expectations. Christopher Diaz, … Read more
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In-depth interviews with leaders, experts and visionaries in the institutional investment community
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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.
