International assets under custody increased by 14.5 per cent over the first six months of this year compared to a 3.3 per cent increase for domestic assets, according to figures from the Australian Custodial Services Association (ACSA). The disparity is partly explained by the tilt many leading funds, including the Future Fund, have taken away … Read more
Super funds should use social media to back charities, support campaigns, to initiate competitions, but not necessarily to talk about superannuation. Speaking at the AIST Legal Symposium in Melbourne, Sharon Nelson, joint managing director at Spark Green the digital agency for finance, praised funds such as HOSTPLUS for the way it had piggy-backed on the … Read more
Prime Super is open to further mergers, it has put the appointment of a chief investment officer on hold and answered criticism of its merger with HIP. Speaking six months after Prime merged with the Sydney based HIP, Lachlan Baird, chief executive of the combined operation, whose business card carries the logos for both Prime … Read more
Since inception, HESTA has returned more than 1 per cent above its benchmark: 8.86 per cent versus 7.1 per cent and Anne-Marie Corboy cites such strong long-term returns to members as one of her greatest achievements. She’s also proud of a somewhat unique default insurance that the fund was able to maintain throughout the MySuper … Read more
The long-awaited release of MySuper data by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has revealed some interesting numbers that must not be ignored. The data – contained in the first of an ongoing quarterly APRA report on the MySuper landscape – includes a range of new information on the 116 MySuper products. The report provides an … Read more
Superannuation funds have accepted far too many TPD claims without sufficient scrutiny over the last five years, delegates were told at the AIST Insurance Symposium in Sydney. Prominent personal injury lawyer, John Berrill, a principal at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, spoke in a heated panel discussion, in which he defended the role of lawyers in TPD … Read more
Mercer has appointed Peter Baker, formerly managing director of BNP Paribas Securities and Services in Australia, as the head of its Sentinel team in the Pacific market. In this role he will advise institutional investors on their custodians and give general advice on the custodial services they use. He will also lead the team carrying … Read more
Mercer is to launch a group self-annuitisation product into the Australian market next week. The full details have not yet been disclosed, but those close to its inception have described it as a game-changing product with two prominent funds linked to it. What is known is that Mercer will pool retirees in an investment strategy … Read more
The revelation that as much as seven per cent of money in APRA-approved default funds will pay out commissions to advisers until 2017 has led to hard questions on the role of independent directors in retail funds. Speaking at the AIST governance symposium in Melbourne, several speakers expressed surprise that such a large proportion of … Read more
The Future Fund is accelerating its program of co-investments as a means of improving its margin of return. Its investment team broadly agrees with the recent International Monetary Fund assessment of the world now entering a five year period of low growth. So while the fund achieved returns of 14 per cent in the year … Read more
Michael Stachan, chief investment officer, Equipsuper refers to his team as investment managers and risk managers, whose job is to preserve its $6.5 billion fund as much as add value. “One thing about running money is that you are scenario testing all the time, you are implicitly managing risk. It is hard enough making money … Read more
The ranking of Australia’s superannuation system has moved from third to second best system in the world largely due to the recent increase in superannuation guarantee payments to 9.5 per cent. The shift in the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index puts Australia ahead of Netherlands for the first time in five years, but falls short … 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.
