Leeanne Turner started working in public service pension schemes before the superannuation guarantee charge was made compulsory and has seen most of the big changes since then first hand. One of the most significant was at the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme, which in her time switched its control from a commissioner to a board of trustees. … Read more
The ability of dynamic asset allocation to enhance return and reduce risk in volatile markets was questioned at our most recent Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) seminar in Sydney. Nader Naeimi, head of dynamic asset allocation at AMP Capital, and Mark Wills, head of investment solutions at State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), both described their … Read more
For his first international trip since becoming prime minister, Tony Abbott has taken 20 business leaders representing sectors such as banking, finance, agriculture and infrastructure to Jakarta, but super funds see better opportunities elsewhere in Asia. Consultants, fund managers and superannuation funds say that the research has not been undertaken on Indonesia and there are … Read more
Super fund corporate governance know-how is increasingly being used by Australian companies to test commercial ideas, according to Gordon Hagart, head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk management at the Future Fund. Hagart, pictured right, was speaking in advance of assuming the role of chief executive of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) … Read more
Dear Prime Minister In January 1999 you gave a highly persuasive speech about the folly of Australia swapping its current constitution for an unproven model. In the speech, which appears in a book entitled Men and Women of Australia, our greatest modern speeches, you recognised that the current constitution had some alarming incongruities, but for … Read more
Industry superannuation funds can’t stem the loss of members to self-managed superannuation funds with their current range of sub-par retirement income solutions, according to Russell Mason, superannuation partner at Deloitte. According to Deloitte’s sixth biennial report, The Dynamics of the Australian Superannuation System 2013-2033, the SMSF market will reach $2.23 trillion by 2033, of which … Read more
Programs created by Super Friend to cut suicide rates by making workplaces a centre for helping those at risk of mental illness is attracting government interest. Mental health initiatives typically focus on individual members, but Super Friend’s pilot makes members aware of themselves and their colleagues. It also recognises that being connected to the workplace … Read more
The fourth tranche of MySuper legislation ushers in an era of instant regulator fines. Adapting won’t be easy, but it is impossible without understanding the mechanics and subject matter of infringement notices. APRA powers Infringement notice procedures are severe, almost draconian, and the risks they create should be carefully considered. Sections 224 to 224E inform … Read more
Why did the Manchester Airports Group go into partnership with Industry Funds Management earlier this year? DAVID ROWLE Y spoke to both sides of the deal. There is not enough infrastructure for Australian superannuation funds to invest in. Governments find the transactions difficult to explain to the public, while other owners of infrastructure are wary … Read more
To be a long-term investor requires thematic investing because markets and economies are complex adaptive systems, according to Tim Hodgson, global head of the thinking-ahead group at Towers Watson. Hodgson told delegates at the Towers Watson Ideas Exchange in Sydney that economies and markets are complex and adaptive, their path is not random and the … Read more
UniSuper is considering a new type of accumulation fund that sits in between defined contribution and defined benefit. Any such fund would be offered as a choice to members, at its own cost, alongside its current accumulation fund. The option is to be discussed at a strategy meeting in February, based on a proposal based … Read more
Australian super funds can gain an extra 100-200bps of return by overhauling their investment committees, Roger Urwin, global head of investment strategy at Towers Watsons has urged. Speaking at his firm’s annual ideas exchange in Sydney to an audience packed with chief investment officers, he described the change in governance since the GFC as incremental … 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.
