Some of Australia’s biggest asset owners are expanding their stocks and bonds lending activities in a push for improved returns by leveraging on significantly bigger balance sheets. This reflects funds’ increasing scale and global outlook, and reverses a pullback seen during the GFC and, later, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Labor government will pursue legislation to allow super funds to “nudge” their members to seek financial advice, as part of their efforts to fulfill their Retirement Income Covenant obligations. Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones claimed he had achieved “consensus” following a confidential and heated consultation over the introduction of a new class of financial adviser.
The OECD has called on global policymakers to avoid restrictive regulatory frameworks that could lead to overly conservative investment strategies in defined contribution pension schemes, as a new study from the organisation found that equity exposure usually brings better retirement income outcomes.
Wayne Swan, former Labor treasurer turned chair of embattled profit-to-member fund Cbus, has staunchly defended the construction industry fund’s trustee governance and his own independence at a much-anticipated showdown with a parliamentary committee led by Coalition senator and super sector critic Andrew Bragg.
The Albanese government has finally legislated an objective for the super system, in an eleventh-hour achievement that makes Australia the second developed nation to do so. The milestone comes almost two years after Treasurer Jim Chalmers kicked off the campaign at a Conexus Financial Political Series event.
Frontier Advisors has hired Alexandra Veroude as a senior consultant in its capital markets and asset allocation team. has hired Alexandra Veroude as a senior consultant in its capital markets and asset allocation team.
Australian institutional investors should deploy more capital in the Asia-Pacific region, embrace the national interest issue of renewable energy, and take US president-elect Donald Trump at his word, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong has told a Conexus Financial Political Series event.
Superannuation assets in Australia have pushed past the $4 trillion mark, blessed with strong inflows and investment performance. But asset consultant and University of Technology Sydney fellow Rob Prugue says the ballooning size of the sector warrants more scrutiny of systemic risk.
AustralianSuper has hired three senior investment professionals in its international equities team, all based in the fund’s London office.
Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation has entered a partnership with Novigi to combine its existing systems for five distinct superannuation schemes onto a unified administration platform, with Novigi supporting all platform operations for a seven-year term.
Data from ProductRex, a product recommendation platform for financial advisers, has highlighted the impact of negative media coverage on troubled profit-to-member fund Cbus which is experiencing advised net outflows at the same level as AustralianSuper, a super fund four times its size.
Asset owners and managers may not always agree on fees, but one thing both parties are thinking a lot more about these days is creating innovative structures which – if done right – could provide rewards for the former and value for the latter.
The investment intelligence behind Australia’s largest asset owners and their teams
In-depth interviews with leaders, experts and visionaries in the institutional investment community
Updates on the latest industry policy developments and regulation
The challenges and innovations of custody, technology and operational due diligence
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.
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