Lee Nickelson is an Authorised Representative, GWM Adviser Services Limited, Australian Financial Services Licensee

Hands up who knows where their super is invested and what fees they are paying for the administration services they receive?   Anyone..?  You aren’t alone in the unengaged zone.  What is also emerging is that women are less likely than men to regularly engage with their superannuation¹… which is another issue in itself.

Seems crazy doesn’t it.. our superannuation assets have ballooned to $2.3 trillion² yet we aren’t paying attention.  Most rental property owners pay attention to the rent they charge (asset performance) and get quotes on repairs/bargain with real estate agents (manage costs) – so how do we start paying attention to our super?

The ‘Compare the Pair’ advertising campaign for industry super has been around for a couple of years now, but what has become interesting is there has never been a better time to compare superannuation funds.

Recent legislative changes to Regulatory Guide 97 have required superannuation funds, industry funds included, to disclose their fees and costs in a more transparent way resulting in a raft of new Product Disclosure Statements being released.

Many of the clients I have worked with since these changes have been surprised to realise their ‘cheap’ industry funds, aren’t the cheapest option out there anymore.  But on the flip side, it isn’t all about being in the cheapest fund – especially if it is at the expense of asset performance.  Investing in cash because it has low fees is unlikely to be in your best interest long term.

Different assets (cash, term deposits, shares, property) have different performance characteristics, and your superannuation administrator is investing a percentage of your money in each of these assets on your behalf. Make sure you are paying attention to the percentages you have in each asset class as this is one of the main drivers behind investment performance.

So why not log in whilst you are winding down before Christmas and get engaged with your super – check out what fees you are paying and how you are invested.  If you aren’t confident reviewing your superannuation yourself, we are here to help.

1. https://www.commbank.com.au/content/dam/caas/newsroom/docs/2017-06-28-financial-security-report.pdf

2. https://www.superannuation.asn.au/resources/superannuation-statistics

Any advice in this publication is of a general nature only and has not been tailored to your personal circumstances. Please seek personal advice prior to acting on this information. The information in this document reflects our understanding of existing legislation, proposed legislation, rulings etc as at the date of issue. In some cases the information has been provided to us by third parties. While it is believed the information is accurate and reliable, this is not guaranteed in any way. Opinions constitute our judgement at the time of issue and are subject to change. Neither, the Licensee or any of the National Australia group of companies, nor their employees or directors give any warranty of accuracy, nor accept any responsibility for errors or omissions in this document. Before making a decision to acquire a financial product, you should obtain and read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) relating to that product. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. The information in this document reflects our understanding of existing legislation, proposed legislation, rulings etc as at the date of issue. In some cases the information has been provided to us by third parties. While it is believed the information is accurate and reliable, this is not guaranteed in any way.