Since Australians awarded the option to choose their super fund last year, there has been a lot of controversy about which type of fund is the best to invest.
Research and surveys over the past few years have shown repeatedly that industry super funds are an excellent way to invest your money and prepare for a successful retirement.
An industry super fund is an occupational based fund set up to support people in one or a number of industries throughout Australia and they consistently deliver more dollars into their member’s accounts than other types of super funds. This great performance is being reflected in the shift of members since Choice began on 1 July last year.
Super Ratings, shows that on average, industry super funds could deliver significantly more retirement dollars to their members, when compared to retail master trusts.
The results showed that industry super funds, on average, delivered $18.90 earnings per dollar of fees taken out over one year, while retail master trusts on average delivered only $6.90.
This was also reflected over the past three and five years - $17.80 vs. $6.40 and $10.80 vs. $3.80 respectively. These results were based on December 31 balances.
Industry super funds believe that this measure of “net benefit to member” is the most important measure of the success of a super fund. That is, because it is the only available measure that combines investment performance and all ongoing fees and taxes, to show the dollars a super fund is delivering into its members’ accounts.
Super Ratings’ modeling also found that Australians could be more than 31 per cent better off in an industry super fund, based on existing fee structures, even if there was no investment out-performance.
Over a 40 year working life, this could mean having $151,706 more at retirement measured in today’s dollars or $407,340 in future value, taking into account the effects of inflation.
Reports from APRA and industry super fund administrator, Super partners, have shown that Australians have been voting for industry super funds with their feet since they were given the option to choose their super fund.
The most recent figures published by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority show that industry super funds were the fastest growing sector since Choice.
Total estimated superannuation assets increased by 6.7 per cent in the September 2005 quarter to $791.5 billion. Industry super funds’ assets grew by 8.8 per cent, retail funds by 6.4 per cent, public sector funds by 5.9 per cent and corporate funds by 4.9 per cent.
Figures from administrator, Super partners, showed solid membership and employer growth since July. The number of employers actively participating in a sample group of industry super funds jumped 11.73% between April and October.
Further evidence of the interest in industry super funds shows that net assets of a group of major industry super funds grew by more than 30 per cent over the past year.
Key to Industry Super Fund Success:
The main driver behind the consistent out performance by industry super funds is:
1. Lower average industry super fund fees.
2. Lower sales distribution costs.
3. Asset allocation and investment manager selection differences,
4. Fees – industry funds tend to charge very little in service fees, but they're not open to everyone, while master trusts charge higher fees, but they also aggressively pursue profits for their members.
5. Insurance – Many funds will offer insurance to members such as death, income protection and total permanent disability insurance. These kinds of options can help protect your employees.
6. Extra benefits – In such a competitive market, many funds offer add-ons like financial planning, cheaper home loans and salary packaging to entice you.
The unique structure and philosophy of industry super funds is the key to their out performance against other types of superannuation funds, when delivering net benefit to their members.
That is, industry super funds are run only to profit members, average fees are lower and no commissions are paid to financial advisers.
The Future for Industry Super Funds
The future of industry superannuation lies in the continuation of its mutual ownership and in the ability of industry super funds to consistently maximize investment returns in the lowest cost environment.
To ensure this, the industry funds have already done the groundwork for the creation of a diversified financial institution of considerable substance in banking, funds management and retail financial services strongly linked to the industry super funds administration.
The vehicle for this transformation is Members Equity Bank, which has a potential market reach through industry funds’ six to seven million members.
This network can use its collective power for continued pioneering in the delivery of superannuation and other financial services in a significant way. As a major force in the financial life of this country, the new mutual will also force commercial providers into genuine competition.
They have been innovators in asset allocation, being among the first super funds in Australia to make a significant allocation to infrastructure and private equity investment. Many other institutions are now trying to enter these markets, thus creating a real challenge for all Australian super funds to find adequate deal flows.
The New Rules:
· All super benefits will be tax-free from July 1, 2007, for people over the age of 60.
· Reasonable benefit limit rules, which impose tax penalties if you save too much in super, will be scrapped from July 1.
· Undeducted, or personal, after-tax super contributions will be capped at $150,000 a year from July 1. As a transitional measure, $1 million can be contributed before July next year. Deductible contributions will be limited to $50,000 from July 1. Better incentives for the self-employed.
Industry funds last year signaled a major move into global renewable energy through their purchase of Pacific Hydro. Global climate change and the growing awareness of the need to invest for a sustainable future will open up many opportunities for funds with a long-term outlook.
Industry super funds now typically have a record of accomplishment of 15-20 years of very strong performance. Few, if any, of their competitors can match that. In close just a few facts to help you understand how “super” super funds really are:
· The Australian Superannuation Fund Association (ASFA) predicts that by the year 2020 there will be $1699 billion sitting in super funds.
· According to ASFA a 25-year-old today earning $30,000 will have around $142,000 in super when they retire at the age of 60.
· Australia is the fourth largest nation of savers thanks to compulsory superannuation.
· Small business owners have a smaller super balance per person than employees do. According to the AMP.NATSEM small business report small business owners only have $39,800 stashed away whereas employees have $49,900.
Something to think about!
