SUPERANNUATION – AUSTRALIA

‘Good debt’ to underwrite Future Fund

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 19 & 22 : 1-Sep-17

The Future Fund has posted an annual return of 8.7 per cent for 2016-17, compared with its target return of 6.9 per cent. However, chairman Peter Costello says returns and asset values are likely to be affected by an expected rise in interest rates. He adds that the Federal Government’s decision to postpone drawdowns by five years will allow the sovereign wealth fund to cover all unfunded public sector super liabilities, which are forecast to top $A200bn in 2021. The Government will increase what Treasurer Scott Morrison labels "good" debt to fund super liabilities between 2021 and 2026.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FUTURE FUND MANAGEMENT AGENCY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA, QIC LIMITED, PORT OF MELBOURNE

Superannuation fund looks for a greenie to keep them in the black

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 19 & 23 : 2-Aug-17

Vision Super hopes to attract new members for its sustainable balanced fund by targeting people who take part in climate change demonstrations and protest rallies. The superannuation fund, which boasts some 100,000 members in the local government sector and $A8.75bn worth of assets under management, is seeking to recruit a climate activist. John Roskam of the Institute of Public Affairs has questioned the appropriateness of Vision Super’s use of members’ funds to hire an environment activist.

CORPORATES
VISION SUPER PTY LTD, INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY

Superannuation balance of intending retirees increasing, but females still lag

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 31-Jul-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that an estimated 430,000 Australians intend to retire in the next 12 months. An analysis of the superannuation of intending retirees shows that the average balance for women is $158,000, or 60.8% of the male average of $260,000. The gender gap has closed considerably since 2008, when the female balance was only $79,000 or 55.2% of the average male superannuation balance. A great deal of publicity has been given to this issue, and it has obviously increased awareness and effort to improve retirement funding for women.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

O’Dwyer lashes out at ‘tricky’ insurers

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Original article by Andrew White
The Australian – Page: 21 : 27-Jul-17

Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer has criticised the way life insurance providers have handled requests by superannuation fund members to opt out of life and disability coverage via their super fund. O’Dwyer says life insurers have been "tricky" regarding the issue of opting out. She also argues that life insurers must demonstrate that the products they offer have value to super fund members, and notes that such coverage may not necessarily be relevant to people under the age of 25.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, FINANCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, MACQUARIE GROUP LIMITED – ASX MQG, SUNCORP GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUN, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Industry funds top super league table

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 20-Jul-17

Data from Chant West shows that the average balanced superannuation fund posted a return of 10.7 per cent in 2016-17. Meanwhile, the average return for industry super funds was 11.1 per cent, compared with just 9.7 per cent for retail funds. Hostplus delivered the best return among balanced funds, at 13.2 per cent, followed by Australian Super’s return of 12.4 per cent. Mark Delaney of AustralianSuper says fund members should expect a lower return in 2017-18.

CORPORATES
CHANT WEST FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD, HOST-PLUS, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, SUNSUPER PTY LTD, FIRST STATE SUPER, CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, INTRUST SUPER FUND, KINETIC SUPER, CATHOLIC SUPER, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Human Super puts the focus on women

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 19-Jul-17

New superannuation fund Human Super will primarily target women in the 40-65 age group, and CEO Pascale Helyar-Moray says one of its aims is to help close the retirement savings gender gap. The fund will offer balanced and growth investment options, which will have fees of around one per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively. Human Super expects to attract about $A500,000 via its initial capital raising, which is slated to close on 19 July.

CORPORATES
HUMAN SUPER, SPACESHIP FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, GROW SUPER

Recycling of assets ‘getting through’ to US

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Original article by Jenny Wiggins
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 & 15 : 18-Jul-17

IFM Investors CEO Brett Himbury says the Australian superannuation investor is keen to be involved if the US gets serious about infrastructure asset recycling. Himbury recently visited the US, where he met with officials from a number of states with the potential to be involved in the sale of infrastructure assets in order to raise funds for new infrastructure investment. Goldman Sachs has previously noted that publicly-owned US toll roads alone are worth around $US120 billion.

CORPORATES
IFM INVESTORS PTY LTD, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, THE CARLYLE GROUP

Millennials ‘happy to pay more’ for super

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Original article by Alice Uribe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 13-Jul-17

Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia CEO Martin Fahey says a super fund’s brand seems to be a higher priority for the Millennial generation than the fees they pay. Newer funds such as Spaceship and Grow Super have been popular with younger Australians, despite having fees that are higher than average. Fahey rejects suggestions that younger people are easily taken in by marketing hype, arguing that they are in fact "very sophisticated" consumers.

CORPORATES
THE ASSOCIATION OF SUPERANNUATION FUNDS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SPACESHIP FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, GROW SUPER, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, ZUPER, MOBI SUPER, TYRO PAYMENTS, TIDSWELL FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED, RICE WARNER ACTUARIES PTY LTD, ATLASSIAN CORPORATION PLC

AusSuper optimistic on equity outlook

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 6-Jul-17

AustralianSuper has posted a return of 12.4 per cent for 2016-17, due to a strong performance by asset classes such as infrastructure, Australian shares and global shares. Chief investment officer Mark Delaney is upbeat about the outlook for sharemarkets in 2017-18, although he cautions that investors should expect lower returns than in 2016-17. He adds that share prices are unlikely to be significantly affected by the prospect of interest rate increases in countries such as the US.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, CHANT WEST FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD

SMSFs trail bigger funds by up to 16pc

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Original article by Sally Patten
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 5-Jul-17

Data from Rainmaker shows that Australia’s self-managed superannuation funds achieved an average annual return of 4.6 per cent in the 10 years to May 2017. In contrast, mainstream super funds had an average annual return of 4.5 per cent. However, Rainmaker forecasts that SMSFs underperformed mainstream funds in the year to May 2017, with respective returns of 7.7 and 9.2 per cent. Rainmaker MD Christopher Page says SMSF trustees should focus on the return over 10 years rather than one year.

CORPORATES
RAINMAKER INFORMATION SERVICES PTY LTD, CHANT WEST FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE