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Although superannuation funds, on average, delivered strong returns for the 2017/2018 year, some Australians may be questioning how well their own super fund is performing and wondering what this performance means for their retirement plans.
If you are saving for retirement, low investment returns make it harder to achieve your retirement goals as your account grows more slowly. For those already in retirement, low returns may mean you are forced to reduce your income or eat into your savings more quickly.
If you believe your super fund is not performing as well as you hoped, or as well as other super funds, what can you do? Although you may feel overwhelmed with investigating such an issue, this article outlines four steps any super fund member can take to assess their super fund’s investment performance.
1. Is your super fund part of the problem?
The investment return for the median growth superannuation fund for 2017/2018 year was 9.2%. The worst-performing growth super fund delivered 6.5%, while the best-performing super fund delivered 12.5%, according to superannuation rating agency, Chant West. You would expect a similar result within a reasonable range for the ‘balanced’ or ‘growth’ investment option for all large super funds, which is where most members have their retirement savings. However, it’s still worth checking how your particular fund is performing. Super funds are regularly rated against their peers by ratings agencies, so check how your fund measures up.
For more information about investment returns and comparable fund performance, see the following SuperGuide articles:
- Best performing super funds over 1 calendar year (to December 2018)
- Best performing super funds over the last financial year (to June 2019)
- Best performing super funds over 5 years (to September 2019)
- Best performing pension funds over 5 years (to September 2019)
- Best performing super funds over 15 calendar years
- Best performing super funds over 10 financial years
- Super fund performance over 26 calendar years (to December 2018)
- Super fund performance over 27 financial years (to June 2019)
- Asset sector performance: Returns over 1 to 15 calendar years (to December 2018)
- Asset sector performance: Returns over 1 to 15 financial years (to June 2019)
- Annual super fund performance Reckoner: Annual returns for 5 investment categories
2. Review your super account’s investment option
Around 80% of Australians with superannuation accounts have their money invested in the default option, which is where you are placed if you do not choose an investment option. Default options are usually ‘balanced’ or ‘growth’ investment options (see table below) and normally have around 60%-80% in growth assets such as shares and property.
Default options are designed as an appropriate investment strategy for a large number of members across the many years they will be saving for their retirement. However, it may not be the right option for your particular circumstances.
If you are unhappy with your super account’s investment return, it is important to understand how your money is invested. Most funds offer both pre-mixed options, and choices based on specific asset classes like Australian shares, property, cash or fixed interest. Some super funds also allow members to create a personalised investment portfolio.
Typical investment options are set out in the table below.
Pre-mixed investment options for large super funds
Option type | Common option names | What they invest in | Percentage of growth assets (e.g. Australian and International Shares) |
---|---|---|---|
High growth | High Growth, Aggressive, Growth Plus, Shares Plus | Mainly ‘growth’ style assets, usually Australian and international shares | 91% – 100% |
Growth | Growth, High Growth, Assertive | Majority growth assets, with small amounts of cash and fixed interest | 77% – 90% |
Balanced | Default, Balanced Growth | High allocation to shares, emphasis on long-term growth | 60%-76% |
Conservative Balanced | Conservative Balanced, Moderate Growth | Higher allocations to fixed interest and cash than shares | 41%-59% |
Capital Stable | Conservative, Stable Growth, Capital Guarded | High allocation to fixed interest and cash | 20%-40% |
Secure | Capital Guaranteed, Capital Secure, Cash Enhanced | Emphasises fixed interest and cash, focussing on stability rather than growth | 0%-19% |
Asset class options | |||
Option name | What they invest in | ||
Australian Shares | Companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange | ||
International Shares | Companies listed on global share markets | ||
Property | Australian and overseas property | ||
Fixed interest | Australian and international bonds and loans | ||
Cash | Short-term market securities and short-term bonds | ||
Member choice or DIY option | |||
Member chooses and manages their own investment portfolio | Available assets vary, but usually include companies on the ASX, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and term deposits |
Source: Table compiled by author, and reflects typical options offered by many large super funds
3. Learn about the objective for your super’s investment option
Just as every super fund gives each investment option a different name, each investment option has a different objective. When reviewing your super account’s investment option, think about whether its investment objective and level of risk are appropriate for you. Two examples are:
Balanced option
- Objective – To beat Consumer Price Index (inflation) by 4% over the medium to longer term
- Likelihood of negative annual return – 5 years in 20-year period
- Risk level – Medium to high
Conservative option
- Objective – Deliver after tax return of inflation plus 1.75% over rolling 10-year periods
- Likelihood of negative annual returns – 1 year in 20-year period
- Risk level – Low to medium
For more information about risk, return and comparing investment options, see the following SuperGuide articles:
- Super investing: What is your risk profile?
- Super investing: How to change your investment option
- Super investing: How to choose a responsible investment option
- How to choose an investment option for your pension
- Super investing: What are listed and unlisted investments?
- Super investing: Are you investing in infrastructure?
- The 10/30/60 rule: What it is, and how it can help your retirement plans
- Annual super fund performance Reckoner: Annual returns for 5 investment categories
4. Compare investment performance against the objective
The next step is to review the performance of your investment option against the option’s investment objective. Super funds regularly report each option’s investment performance against its objective, which is usually expressed in terms of a ‘benchmark’. Investment performance is also tracked by the ratings agencies, which compare each investment option against a common benchmark and rank an options performance against similar investment options in other funds.
For tips on how to compare super funds, see the following SuperGuide articles:
- How to compare super funds in 7 easy steps
- How to review your super fund
- The 10/30/60 rule: What it is, and how it can help your retirement plans
Do you have options if you’re unhappy with your super fund’s performance?
Armed with the knowledge discovered by checking on the four elements above, you can work out whether the problem is your fund, or whether your super fund is performing on par with other super funds, or if investment markets generally are having a strong (or low) or positive (or negative) year. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it), in most cases ratings agencies believe investment markets are to blame for across-the-board poor returns, and likewise for strong returns.
Super funds generally are still performing well, despite some turbulence due to political developments and uncertainty about interest rates. If Australian and global share markets, and investor sentiment, are rising, a super fund’s returns are likely to be rising significantly, reflecting the amount of super assets allocated to share markets.
Likewise, if Australian and global share markets, and investor sentiment, are falling, a super fund’s returns are unlikely to be rising significantly, considering the amount of super assets allocated to share markets.
It’s worth remembering that if you have selected a lower risk investment option or an asset class like cash or fixed interest, returns will normally be lower than a higher-risk investment option. When it comes to investing, lower risk generally goes hand-in-hand with lower returns.
Although you can’t change the performance of investment markets, some super fund members may consider making the following types of decisions:
- Accept more investment risk: For some fund members, achieving a higher return will only come through taking on more investment risk. You can do this by investing in more growth-style assets, or by selecting an investment objective involving a higher level of short and medium-term risk. For more information on understanding your risk profile, see SuperGuide article Super investing: What is your risk profile?
- Change your investment option: Simply shifting your money out of the default option into another investment option within your existing fund could make a significant difference, depending on your investment option. An option with a different asset allocation may deliver a higher return, and may also carry greater risk. For more information on switching investment options, see SuperGuide article Super investing: How to change your investment option.
- Change to a DIY portfolio: If you believe you can do better than your fund’s investment managers, consider moving some or all of your retirement savings into a DIY or member choice option and select your own investments. You can build a tailored portfolio using investments like direct shares, exchange traded funds (ETFs) or term deposits. The most active DIY option is to start a self-managed super fund, although setting up an SMSF means you take on compliance responsibility as well as investment control. For more information, see SuperGuide’s special section on SMSFs (Self-managed super funds).
- Contribute more to super: For people still saving for their retirement, this is probably the easiest option. Adding some extra personal contributions in addition to those made by your employer can help offset lower investment returns. For more information, see SuperGuide’s special section on Making superannuation contributions.
- Work a few years more: For those close to retirement, meagre investment returns may mean you need to stay in the workforce longer. Toiling away for a few more years is tough, but it may be the only option if your retirement pot still needs to grow. For more information, see SuperGuide’s special section on Planning for retirement.
For information on how much super you need for a comfortable retirement, see the following SuperGuide articles:
- How much super do I need to retire?
- Super to income Reckoner
- Income from super Reckoner
- How much super do I need to retire on $60,000 a year?
- How much super do I need to retire on $80,000 a year?
- How much super do I need to retire on $100,000 a year?
- Is $500,000 in super enough to retire on?
- Is $750,000 in super enough to retire on?
- Is $1 million in super enough to retire on?
- Is $1.6 million in super enough to retire on?
- Is $2 million in super enough to retire on?
- Video: How to use the MoneySmart Retirement Planner