Lowest-fee super and pension funds, Best performing funds, Transfer balance cap to rise, Tax and your SMSF, Downsizer case study, Retirement myth-conceptions.
Highlights of the February 2021 edition of the SuperGuide Premium newsletter include:
- LOW-FEE FUNDS ON THE RISE. The lowest-fee super and pension funds have something in common – they follow the index.
- BEST PERFORMING SUPER AND PENSION FUNDS. Despite significant challenges, super and pension funds finished strongly last year. We reveal the champions.
- CAPS LIFTING ON TRANSFER BALANCE AND TOTAL SUPER BALANCE. Don’t know your TBC from your TSB? We help you spot the difference.
- DO SMSFs PAY LESS TAX? While all super funds are taxed the same way, SMSFs have more flexibility than big funds.
- MAKING THE MOVE TO BOOST RETIREMENT INCOME. Downsizing your home can release much needed retirement income, as this case study shows.
- RETIREMENT MYTHS ARE LEGEND. The Retirement Income Review challenged some common beliefs causing many retirees to live more frugally than necessary.
HOW SUPER WORKS
Super funds with the lowest fees
Discover the cheapest super funds overall, funds with the lowest fees for each investment category, as well the most expensive super funds.
Super fund performance: Monthly returns to June 2025
Super funds navigated wave after wave of uncertainty to deliver an extraordinary return of 10.5% in the year to June 30.
Pension fund performance to June 2025
Pension fund members enjoyed robust returns in the latest financial year, with many retirees growing their balance even after making withdrawals.
Super news for February 2021
Transfer balance cap to rise 1 July 2021, Super associations urge government to make super fair for all, Nearly one million young Australians left with little or no super, ATO has its eye on auditor details in SMSF annual returns, SMSF Association calls for less complexity in super, High Court says Westpac subsidiaries gave unauthorised personal advice, Optimum Pensions to launch new market-linked lifetime annuity, Maritime Super to outsource investment to Hostplus.
BEST PERFORMING SUPER AND PENSION FUNDS
Check out the best performing super and pension funds across 5 different investment categories over 1 year and 10 years, updated to 31 December 2020.
Super funds
- All Growth (96–100%)
- High Growth (81–95%)
- Growth (61–80%)
- Balanced (41–60%)
- Conservative (21–40%)
Pension funds
- All Growth (96–100%)
- High Growth (81–95%)
- Growth (61–80%)
- Balanced (41–60%)
- Conservative (21–40%)
SUPER AND PENSION FUND QUARTILES
If your super fund is not in the top 10, see which quartile it ranks in across 5 different investment categories and 8 different timeframes, updated to 31 December 2020.
Super funds
- All Growth (96–100%)
- High Growth (81–95%)
- Growth (61–80%)
- Balanced (41–60%)
- Conservative (21–40%)
Pension funds
- All Growth (96–100%)
- High Growth (81–95%)
- Growth (61–80%)
- Balanced (41–60%)
- Conservative (21–40%)
SMSFs
Tax-saving strategies only available to SMSFs
All super funds pay the same tax rate, but there are differences in the ability of SMSFs and large super funds to manage their tax liabilities for the benefit of members.
Asset allocation explained: How to build a strong retirement investment strategy
The most important investment decision you make may not be about what you invest in, but how you spread your money across different investments.
RETIREMENT PLANNING
Getting financial advice? What your adviser needs to provide
When you see a financial adviser, there are rules covering the documents and information provided to ensure the advice you receive is in your best interests and you can make good decisions.
Common ‘myth-conceptions’ about retirement income
Given the complexity of super and how it interacts with the Age Pension, it’s not surprising that misunderstandings abound. So let’s bust a few myths.
Case study: Boosting retirement income with downsizer contributions
Lee and Mandy are retired and want to see whether downsizing could increase their retirement income.