The European Union will survive and the US economy will bounce back, according to international experts speaking at a CMSF plenary session. Andreas Huebner, senior managing director of Lazard, said the “EU will survive no problem” but acknowledged there was a long way to go, with economic fundamentals still weak. He sees the real problem … Read more
The winner of the trustee of the year award used his acceptance speech to take a swipe at over-regulation, which he said only served to make his duties harder. Gary Clifford, trustee director of the Fire and Energy Services Superannuation Fund, whose colleagues knew he was receiving the award but had not told him, said … Read more
The Stronger Super reforms aren’t aimed at pushing out smaller funds, says Ross Jones, deputy chairman of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Speaking on a panel with the commissioner of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Greg Tanzer, Jones responded to concerns about the impact of reform on smaller funds. “The issue with scale … Read more
There have been a number of studies that look at the after-tax returns of investment managers and conclude that for individual taxable investors, most managers do not generate enough excess return to cover the tax bill caused by the resulting capital gains tax. Superannuation funds have a lower tax rate than individuals, but the tax … Read more
In today’s digital world, super funds are under increasing pressure to provide mobile and tech-savvy members with a greater range of online tools and capability. At the same time funds are grappling to balance a range of other priorities, including regulatory change and pressure to deliver superior member outcomes. Over the past eight years, we’ve … Read more
The world economy will grow this year and there will be positive GDP growth most likely next year, says George Siguler, managing director and founder partner of private equity investment firm, Siguler Guff. Speaking ahead of his appearance at the Conference of the Major Superannuation Funds (CMSF) in Brisbane this week, Siguler said there are … Read more
More than half of all Australian employees are now being offered access to mental health assistance through their superannuation schemes. Superfriend, the charitable organisation established to reduce the rate of suicide in the Australian population, has been front and centre in providing resources to super funds addressing mental health. The organisation recently increased its number … Read more
Chairman of retirement income at Challenger and author of the eponymous industry review, Jeremy Cooper, confronts the fact that superannuation is a savings system rather than one designed to provide income in retirement. With Amal Awad at Conexus Financial’s Post-Retirement Conference earlier this month, he discusses how the industry might adapt to this role in … Read more
Jo Townsend, the chief investment officer at REST Industry Super, says the fund tries not to get caught up in the day-today noise of investment markets. REST is not only investing according to a long-term horizon, it’s willing to depart from the pack when making investment decisions. “Our fundamental investment belief is that it is … Read more
Chief executive officer of the Actuaries Institute, Melinda Howes, spoke to Amal Awad about how actuaries contribute to the superannuation industry. Being a woman in a powerful role with a family, how do you find a work/life balance? I didn’t think about this when I started my career, but working as an actuary is a fantastic … Read more
Industry funds will not own the low-cost space post-Stronger Super and the industry should be prepared for the influx of bespoke products like SMSFs and individually managed accounts (IMAs), said Paul Watson, executive manager of member choice and advice at Hostplus. Speaking at last week’s Post-Retirement Conference, held by Conexus Financial in association with AIST, … Read more
Speaking at last week’s Post-Retirement Conference, held by Conexus Financial in association with AIST, Scott Pappas said the defined benefit is “dying”. He argues that funds need to extract the benefits of such a plan in a sustainable model, namely defined ambition plans, which offer collective defined contribution (DC) schemes and money-back guarantees. “Collective DC … 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.
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