Sunsuper’s 12 strong investment operations team has identified over $10 million of potential cost savings and revenue in the last six months. The team, which has expanded by five members in the last year, has scrutinised portfolio activities to optimise cost efficiency from transactions, asset transitions, operational changes and tax liability. It has also improved … Read more
Funds that don’t look beyond the Financial System Inquiry (FSI) will fail to create successful post-retirement products believes FSI committee member Professor Kevin Davis. The design of products not only needs to take changes to regulation into account – as yet an unknown variable – but the whole of life after retirement, according to Davis. … Read more
UniSuper’s overweight position on Australian equity income stocks has helped its balanced fund to become the highest performing in 2014, it achieved 10 per cent returns – the lowest performing fund achieved 5.3 per cent. John Pearce, chief investment officer of UniSuper, continues to keep faith in domestic stocks despite widespread sentiment that falls in … Read more
IFM Investors is making its first investment in Mexico through a 24.99 per cent stake in a toll road on the outskirts of Mexico City. The investment is predicated in part on the forecast that Mexico will become the world’s tenth largest economy by 2030 – it is currently in fifteenth place. Julio Garcia, head … Read more
Club Plus Super has doubled the number of online financial planners as demand for advice has swelled, says its chief executive Paul Cahill. The $2 billion fund, whose members work for clubs, hospitality and related industries, has been responding to growing demand for advice from its membership as well as higher usage of the Fund’s … Read more
REI Super, the industry fund for the real estate profession, has reappointed Ibbotson Associates as its implemented investment consultant for a further three years. Mal Smith, chief executive of REI Super, said his fund strongly valued Ibbotson’s depth of capabilities and expertise. In particular, he lauded Ibbotson’s creation of the Premium Income option for members, … Read more
Product innovation coupled with tailored digital education is key for the future of super funds, according to Anthony Rodwell-Ball chief executive of NGS Super. As retirees make up a growing part of funds he believes a strong customer focus that few funds currently have will be needed – by 2020 around 50 percent of NGS … Read more
Local Government Super (LGS) has appointed Bev Durston and Robert Swift as its first independent investment committee members. Both were appointed after what the fund described as a “comprehensive search”. They will assist the committee in monitoring the performance of investment managers and oversee the work of the internal investment team and external asset consultant … Read more
The Financial Services Council (FSC) has asked its retail superannuation fund members to have a majority of independent directors on their boards by the end of this financial year. The FSC defines independence as an individual not employed by the fund, its associated companies and material service providers either now or in the previous three … Read more
QSuper has more than covered the cost of segregating $10 billion in pension fund assets by taking advantage of a share buy-back with Telstra. Telstra bought back $1 billion in shares in October as a way of using up spare cash, but the offer was not appealing to all shareholders because of the capital gains … Read more
The much mooted idea of a government funded policy advice research institute for superannuation has been pre-empted by a partnership between the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees and Mercer. Dubbed the AIST-Mercer Super Tracker, the body will publish yearly updates on the relative fairness of tax concessions on superannuation for high and low income earners … Read more
Unisuper has built up the size of its insurance claims team to the point where most applications now take less than two days to process in a bid to reduce the size of claims and to boost the chances of member rehabilitation. Over the last few months the fund has increased the size of its … 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.
