SUPERANNUATION – AUSTRALIA

The $5.1 billion problem costing one in four workers

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Original article by Millie Muroi
The Age – Page: Online : 28-Aug-24

The Super Members Council estimates that about 2.8 million workers were not paid their full superannuation entitlement in 2021-22, which equates to one in four workers. The underpayment totalled $5.1bn, which is around $1,800 per worker. The council says this could reduce affected employees’ retirement payouts by around $30,000; it also notes that unpaid super could force many people to delay their retirement. The council contends the federal government’s legislation requiring employers to align super contributions with their pay period rather than each quarter will help reduce underpayments; however, Labor has yet to legislate the change.

CORPORATES
SUPER MEMBERS COUNCIL

Stunning equity rallies bring super result

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Original article by Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 24-Apr-24

Data from Chant West shows that the median growth superannuation fund posted a return of 8.8 per cent for the first nine months of 2023-24. This is just shy of the total return of 9.2 per cent for the full 2022-23 financial year. Chant West’s Mano Mohankumar says the performance of Australian and international equities were the key driver for the strong return; he notes that growth funds have gained 11 per cent since November, after losing 1.9 per cent in the first four months of the financial year. Balanced funds delivered a return of seven per cent for the nine months to 31 March.

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CHANT WEST FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD

Superannuation funds eye double-digit returns

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 24 : 16-Apr-24

Data from SuperRatings shows that the median balanced superannuation posted a return of 1.9 per cent in March and 8.8 per cent in the first nine months of 2023-24. Meanwhile, the median growth fund has delivered a return of 10.5 per cent so in the financial year. SuperRatings’ executive director Kirby Rappell says fund balances have continued to grow, despite uncertainty regarding the inflation outlook in Australia and overseas. The strong performance of international sharemarkets has contributed to super funds’ returns, with Wall Street outperforming the Australian bourse in 2023-24.

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SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD

Super fund satisfaction improves since low in July 2023 with strong performances from HESTA, Unisuper & REST Super

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Mar-24

New data from Roy Morgan’s Superannuation Satisfaction Report shows that overall satisfaction with the financial performance of super funds was 66.7% in January 2024. This is an increase of 1.7% points since the low reached in July 2023 (65.0%). There has been improvement across the different categories of super funds since the middle of last year. A standout performer over the last six months has been Self-Managed Funds, which have increased their customer satisfaction by 2.4% points to 76.8%; this is the highest level of customer satisfaction for Self-Managed Funds since April 2022. Customer satisfaction for Industry Funds has also increased significantly on six months ago, up by 1.8% points to 68.6%. Overall customer satisfaction for Public Sector Funds is up by 0.9% points from six months ago to 72.1%. However, customer satisfaction with Retail Funds is up by only 0.4% points to 60%. The report’s findings are from Roy Morgan Single Source, Australia’s most trusted consumer survey, compiled by in-depth interviews with over 60,000 Australians each year.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

US inflation and China woes reduce super growth to 1pc

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Original article by Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 20-Feb-24

Data from Chant West shows that the median growth superannuation fund posted a return of just one per cent in January. This compares with 2.7 per cent growth in December and a three per cent gain in January 2023. Mano Mohankumar of Chant West notes that a strong performance by Australian and international shares in January was offset by mixed results in emerging and bond markets. He adds that a rise in the US inflation rate and concerns about China’s economic outlook weighed on returns late in the month. The median growth fund gained 7.7 per cent in the year to 31 January, and 7.2 per cent over the last decade.

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CHANT WEST FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD

Future Fund lifts returns on back of equities rally

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Original article by Jonathan Shapiro
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 24-Jan-24

The federal government’s Future Fund has advised that it has posted a return of eight per cent in the year to 31 December. The sovereign wealth fund has in turn reported an annualised return over three years of 7.4 per cent, and 7.6 per cent over five years. The Future Fund’s full-year return for 2023 was boosted by a sharemarket rally in the fourth quarter, which increased the value of its assets by 3.2 per cent. Future Fund chairman Peter Costello says the high inflation environment of the last two years has made it harder for the fund to achieve its mandated return target.

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AUSTRALIA. FUTURE FUND MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Super fund satisfaction improves since low in July 2023 with strong performances from HESTA, Unisuper & CARE Super

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Jan-24

New data from Roy Morgan’s Superannuation Satisfaction Report shows an overall super fund satisfaction rating of 65.9% in November 2023, an increase of 0.9% points from July (65.0%). However, satisfaction with super funds is still significantly higher than the long-term average of 58.2% from 2007-2023, and also higher than at any time prior to the pandemic years of 2021-22 when the measure was at record highs. Customer satisfaction for Industry Funds is down 1.4% points to 68.2% compared to a year ago, although this is the smallest decline of any of the four super fund categories. Customer satisfaction with Retail Funds has declined by 2.7% points to 58.9%, and this category continues to have clearly the lowest customer satisfaction of any of the four categories. Customer satisfaction for Public Sector Funds has in turn declined by 3.2% points from a year ago to 70.7% – the largest decline for any of the super fund categories. A standout performer over the past year has been Self-Managed Funds, which have increased their customer satisfaction by 1.9% points to 75.8% and clearly the highest customer satisfaction of any of the four super fund categories. This is the highest level of customer satisfaction for Self-Managed Funds since May 2022. The report’s findings are from Roy Morgan Single Source, Australia’s most trusted consumer survey, compiled by in-depth interviews with over 60,000 Australians each year.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Stock rally brings super fund returns back into the black

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Original article by Megan Neil
The Australian – Page: 15 : 12-Dec-23

Data from SuperRatings suggests that the median balanced superannuation fund gained 3.1 per cent in November. This follows negative returns in each of the previous three months, and the research house expects the median fund to achieve a return of about one per cent for the first five months of 2023-24. SuperRatings also estimates that the median fund will post a gain of about 6.8 per cent for the first 11 months of calendar 2023.

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SUPERRATINGS PTY LTD

Complaints over super funds soar

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Original article by Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 8-Nov-23

Data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority shows that there was a surge in complaints about some superannuation funds during 2022-23. The number of complaints about AustralianSuper rose by 127 per cent year-on-year to 1,750; this includes more than 1,000 complaints about the administration of customers’ accounts. AustralianSuper has acknowledged that its customer service has not met expectations, but says it is taking action to address the issue. The Australian Retirement Trust, Cbus and Hostplus are among the super funds that also attracted a large increase in complaints.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIANSUPER PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN RETIREMENT TRUST PTY LTD, CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING UNIONS’ SUPERANNUATION FUND, HOST-PLUS

Super complaints soar 32pc: watchdog

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Original article by Hannah Wootton, Lucy Dean
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 2-Nov-23

Data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority shows that the number of complaints it received about superannuation funds rose by 32 per cent in 2022-23. This includes a 136 per cent increase in complaints regarding delays in processing insurance and death benefit claims. Super Consumers Australia director Xavier O’Halloran notes that some super fund members have had to wait for more than a year to have these claims paid out, and he has called for regulatory action to force super funds to process claims more promptly.

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AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL COMPLAINTS AUTHORITY, SUPER CONSUMERS AUSTRALIA