legislation

FEAL Annual Conference

No negative impact from tobacco divestment

Divesting from tobacco has had a negligible impact on returns, the Fund Executives Association Limited annual conference heard in a speech from a leading anti-smoking campaigner. Dr Bronwyn King, radiation oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Epworth Healthcare, said the analysis carried out by some of the 10 large superannuation funds that had […]
David RowleyAugust 8, 2013
Policy and Regulation

How to muck up a super system: lessons from the UK

Is there anything that the woebegone United Kingdom pensions sector can teach the internationally admired system of Australian superannuation? The best bet would be how not to get into the same mess. The UK industry was in a healthy state back in the 1980s, but some well-meaning pieces of legislation led to crisis. Giving employees […]
David RowleyMarch 28, 2013
CMSF

Trustee of the year takes swipe at APRA

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 […]
David RowleyMarch 20, 2013
Custody

The great data challenge

The challenge: combine investment data with member-specific details and present the particular information in a way that satisfies the needs of regulators, internal auditors and accountants. Currently, super funds have to collect around 900 data items on a regular basis to satisfy the needs of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). With effect from July, […]
Andrew HutchingsMarch 4, 2013
Investment Strategy

Bill Shorten plans to bolster super governance

Bill Shorten says superannuation fund governance is lacking and he will put before parliament legislation to improve it this year. The Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation says he wants fund director fees disclosed and is seeking a better handling of related party transactions. Shorten also wants to bolster trustee board diversity. “The current superfund […]
I & T NewsJanuary 20, 2012
Administration

Fee the difference: where fees stop and true super costs begin

Superannuation funds are feeling the pressure – from the government, from members – to keep published fees low or to cut them further. But however low they go, upfront fees do not capture the true costs that members pay. Without an overhaul of the current rules governing fee disclosure, funds’ efforts to meet the demand […]
Staff WriterNovember 2, 2009
Administration

Fee the difference: where fees stop and true super costs begin

Superannuation funds are feeling the pressure – from the government, from members – to keep published fees low or to cut them further. But however low they go, upfront fees do not capture the true costs that members pay. Without an overhaul of the current rules governing fee disclosure, funds’ efforts to meet the demand […]
Staff WriterNovember 2, 2009
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