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SUPER NATION: Peak bodies squabble over switching data
Super Nation is a fortnightly column that examines, explains and analyses key issues in one of Australia's largest, fastest-growing and most important industries: superannuation. An unspoken détente in super may have ended in recent weeks as differences between rival peak super bodies are made public. A hint of it came with media coverage suggesting not everybody was happy with the formation of a new group bringing the industry closer to the members of Parliament who make the laws that govern this sector. But it has widened with one organisation accusing another of providing “misleading” and “flawed” data as the spectre was raised of the collapse of the Shield and First Guardian master funds which cost 11,000 people more than A$1 billion (US$685 million).Feeling left outA gossip column article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) with the headline ‘Industry super’s Mean Girls club’ talked about dissatisfaction with the launch party for the Parliamentary Friends of Super, which is sponsored by Super Members Council. The newspaper claimed the invitation list was dominated by SMC’s industry super fund members, with retail funds, self-managed super funds (SMSFs) and platforms left “out in the cold”. Each one is of s
Retirement
Long term focus urged as war hits super fund returns
Superannuation fund members should see short-term falls in returns due to the Middle East war in the context of the long-term nature of super, according to Chant West. Funds delivered a positive return in February with the median growth fund (61–80% invested in growth assets) gaining 1.1% for the month, but markets have since come under pressure. Share markets had fallen in response to the escalation of the United States and Israeli conflict with Iran in early March, which pushed oil prices higher and raised interest rate concerns amid rising inflation. The research, data and analytics provider estimated the median growth fund was down 3.8% so far in March, reducing the financial-year-to-date (FYTD) return to about 2.5%.Source: Chant WestHead of Superannuation Investment Research Mano Mohankumar said it was important for fund members to see short-term movements in context during periods of volatility. “It’s critical for members to keep in mind that super is a long-term investment and there will inevitably be periods of market weakness through their super journey,” he said in a media release. “While we recognise that members have different levels of comfort when their balance goes backwards, the majority can afford t
Retirement
The ageing boom property investors can’t ignore
While property investors tend to fixate on key indicators like location, capital growth, and rental yield, the demographic shift that’s quietly reshaping Australia’s housing demand is often overlooked. There’s no shortage of data to demonstrate why smart investors are tapping into a rich vein of opportunities associated with understanding how older Australians are living, downsizing, relocating, or renting to get a competitive edge. First, let’s look at what the numbers are telling us.Australia’s Ageing Profile: Facts and FiguresWhile recent estimates suggest that around 17% of Australia’s population is aged 65 years and over, projections suggest this will exceed 20% by the 2060s. To put that number into perspective, today one in six Australians are now aged 65-plus, whereas mid-20th century this ratio was around one in every 14. Based on government data, over the past 50 years, life expectancy rose by 13.7 years for males and 11.2 years for females. Unsurprisingly, people aged 55 and over account for a disproportionate amount the country’s personal wealth. While these demographics have far reaching implications for their future housing needs, the rapid rise in the cohort 85-plus – which could more than double wi
Retirement
SUPER NATION: Members urged to think before they switch
Super Nation is a fortnightly column that examines, explains and analyses key issues in one of Australia's largest, fastest-growing and most important industries: superannuation. A nurse responds to a Facebook advertisement urging her to switch her superannuation from a large and well-performing industry fund into a self-managed super fund (SMSF). Promised by a sales agent that the returns from the SMSF would be higher, she believes this will allow her to pay off her mortgage and have enough for retirement after a lifetime of dedicated service. The hard-working frontline health worker agrees to make the switch but discovers her savings have been invested in a property fund that is ultimately frozen, according to SMSF specialist Liam Shorte, who is relating the sad story. “So she’s looking a loss over $405,000,” he told Azzet. Shorte, a financial planner with Sonas Wealth, said younger people in particular were vulnerable to social media posts from lead generators who pass on the details of suitable prospects to financial advisers, investment firms and others. It was a pattern made familiar in the $1 billion collapse of the Shield and First Guardian master funds. In fact, many people invested in Shield and Firs
Retirement
SMSFs outperform APRA funds long term, research finds
Self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) have delivered higher long-term returns than regulated super funds, according to new research. The SMSF Association said research from Adelaide University’s International Centre for Financial Services (ICFS) showed SMSFs outperformed funds regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulator Authority (APRA) by 1.1% in the five years to 30 June 2024. The research was a joint venture with the SMSF Association, which said the findings were similar for the five years to 30 June 2023, when SMSFs outperformed by 1.2%, demonstrating a pattern of sustained performance. SMSF Association Chief Executive Officer Peter Burgess said the research demonstrated the long-term strength and resilience of the A$1.05 trillion SMSF sector. “SMSFs remain a compelling option when they are used under the right circumstances and managed effectively,” he said in a media release. A SMSF could be a highly effective structure, particularly when supported by specialist professional advice, for Australians seeking greater flexibility, control over investment decisions, estate planning advantages, and the ability to tailor strategies to their individual circumstances. But SMSFs were not for everyone, and it

Retirement
Super returns uncertain in FY26 – SuperRatings
The outlook for returns from Australian superannuation funds this financial year is uncertain after falls in March and despite respectable outcomes to the end of February, according to SuperRatings. The superannuation research house estimated the median balanced option generated a return of 1.1% in February, despite the Reserve Bank of Australia raising interest rates at the start of the month, and 6.3% in the 2026 financial year (FY26). “However, with events currently occurring in the Middle East and inflation expectations pointing towards the potential of further rate increases, funds are likely to have an uncertain path towards the end of FY26,” SuperRatings said in a media release. The median growth option rose by an estimated 1.2% in February, while the capital stable option was estimated to have delivered 0.8% to members, giving them financial year to date (FYTD) returns of 7.3% and 4.0% respectively.Source: SuperRatingsPension members benefited from the tax concessions with the median and growth options returning 1.3% in February, lifting the FYTD returns to 7.2% and 8.1% respectively, and the capital stable option delivering 0.9% in January (4.5%). “We have already seen significant movement in share markets ove
Retirement
Greens help Australian super tax change to become law
The Australian Government’s plans to increase the taxation rate on superannuation accounts with high balances will become law after the Australian Greens agreed to support it in the Senate. The minority party said it would back the ruling Australian Labor Party’s Superannuation (Building a Stronger and Fairer Super System) Bill 2026 in the upper house, allowing the legislation to pass. “We are going to support the bill as a down payment on genuine, progressive tax reform in this budget. This budget is a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity for ambitious tax reform, and we’re opening the door for Labor to walk through,” Greens economic justice spokesperson Nick McKim said in a statement: The approved change lifts the tax rate on earnings on super account balances above $3 million (US$2.1 million) from 15% to 30% and on balances over $10 million to 40%, but applies only to realised earnings, and the thresholds will be indexed to inflation. But it maintains the concessional treatment of super, which is taxed at 15% during the accumulation phase rather than higher marginal rates for most Australians. Labor backed down from applying the change to unrealised gains after strong opposition and added the higher balance change.
Retirement
SUPER NATION: Funds urged to prepare for wave of grey
Super Nation is a fortnightly column that examines, explains and analyses key issues in one of Australia's largest, fastest-growing and most important industries: superannuation. It’s being called a silver tsunami and super funds are being urged to prepare for it. More than 2.5 million Australians are expected to retire in the next decade, according to the Australian Government. This was out of 23.3 million member accounts across superannuation funds regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) at 30 June 2025. They also represent about one in nine Aussies. These prospective retirees hold an estimated A$1.5 trillion (US$1.05 trillion) in super, or 11% of Australia’s $4.5 trillion in retirement assets, although they represent significantly less than this proportion of members and accounts. They are from the final wave of the wealthy and much-maligned Baby Boomer generation (born1946 to 1964) and early members of Generation X (1965-1980) This supposedly grey-haired cohort will move from the accumulation phase, during which their balances are rising, to the pension or deaccumulation phase, when they draw down on their retirement balances over the next 10 years. Regulators have increased t
Retirement
Australian super assets hit record $4.49 trillion
The value of Australian superannuation funds rose by 8.1% in the 12 months ended 31 December 2025 to a record A$4.49 trillion (US$3.19 trillion), according to data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). APRA was releasing its Quarterly Superannuation Performance publication for the December 2025 quarter, which showed sector assets had grown from $4.15 trillion at 31 December 2024 and $4.47 trillion at 30 September 2025.Source: APRAThe regulator said in a statement that the increase in assets was driven by a 9.1% rise in APRA-regulated assets to $3.18 trillion, with self-managed superannuation (SMSF) assets rising 6.0% to $1.06 trillion. Among the APRA-regulated assets, retail funds showed the most growth in assets across the year, rising 10.5% to $891.0 billion, just outpacing industry funds (10.4% to $1.64 billion) and public sector funds (6.0% to $608.2 billion), while corporate fund assets fell 19.4% to $37.5 billion. But in the December quarter, industry funds outpaced the others with growth of 1.3% compared with retail (0.8%) and public sector (0.2%), while corporate funds showed no asset growth. Total contributions increased by 11.5% to $220.8 billion in 2025, of which employer contributions