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
Super fund fees vary widely by fund, investment option and balance size. Find out how funds compare and which options were cheapest as at March 2026.
Super fund performance: Monthly returns to May 2026
Super funds continued their positive run in May and are on course to post a 9% return for the year to June 2026.
Pension fund performance to December 2025
Retirees had much to smile about in 2025, when pension fund returns grew strongly even after withdrawing minimum pension payments.
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
Pension funds
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
Pension funds
SMSFs
Tax-saving strategies only available to SMSFs
Super is arguably the most tax-effective investment vehicle, but SMSFs have more flexibility than large funds when it comes to managing tax outcomes.
Asset allocation: Building a strong retirement investment plan
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
Financial advice is strictly regulated, so it pays to understand what you can and can’t expect from an adviser before you set up your first meeting.
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.
