Taking charge of your super with Choice Income helps you control how long your savings will last in retirement.
Why Choice Income
Get the benefits of an award-winning1account-based pension – Choice Income – with Australia’s most trusted fund2.
Here’s a quick summary of how Choice Income can help you make the most of your savings in retirement:
- Stay invested and you could earn returns throughout your retirement. Plus you can choose how your money is invested – or leave it up to the experts.
- Enjoy a regular income just like the pay you’re used to.
- Control how much you’re paid, and how often money is put into your account whether that’s fortnightly, monthly, or yearly3.
- Tax free investment returns.
- Tax free income payments from age 60.
You can also use the income paid from your Choice Income account to top up any Government Age Pension payments you may be eligible for.
How Choice Income works
Your Choice Income account starts when you transfer your super over, and your payment and investment options are set up.
Positive investment returns add to your balance; your income payments, fees and any negative returns reduce it.
Helping your super go even further
Staying invested with AustralianSuper in retirement could help your super savings last longer.
Keeping your super invested in retirement can help provide an income to support your expenses and retirement lifestyle. A diversified retirement portfolio can help limit the impact of inflation and market volatility on your retirement savings. AustralianSuper’s PreMixed options, like the Balanced option, aim to beat inflation over time.
The charts below show how investing in the Balanced option has historically grown member account balances even after factoring in drawdowns over time.
The first chart shows the growth of $250,000 invested in AustralianSuper’s Choice Income accounts, comparing the Balanced option with the Cash option, from 30 June 2008 to 30 June 2025, less fees and drawdowns4. These drawdowns represent the amounts that would be redeemed to spend during retirement5.
Choice Income options
Growth of $250k from 30 June 2008 to 30 June 2025
As you can see, the Balanced option has delivered members a higher account balance than the Cash option, despite times of market volatility such as the Global Financial Crisis in 2008-2009 and the pandemic downturn in 2020.
- Balanced option: A member’s balance would have grown by $118,000, totalling $368,000 at 30 June 20254, even after $280,000 in cumulative drawdowns5.
- Cash option: A member’s balance would have decreased by $91,000 totalling $159,000 at 30 June 20254, after $202,000 in cumulative drawdowns5.
In addition to higher growth and balance, Choice Income members invested in the Balanced option would have withdrawn more – even when taking out the minimum amount – than members invested in the Cash option.
Choice Income options
Cumulative drawdowns and withdrawals from 30 June 2008 to 30 June 2025
Staying invested with a diversified portfolio like AustralianSuper’s Balanced option for Choice Income can help your savings grow and last longer into retirement – even through market ups and downs.
See how Choice Income compares
AustralianSuper’s history of strong, long-term performance has seen our Choice Income Balanced option deliver an average annual return of 8.95% over 10 years to 31 December 20256.
Australia’s most trusted super fund 13 years running2 and winner of the Canstar Outstanding Value Award for account-based pension1.
Opening your Choice Income account
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Disclaimers
- AustralianSuper received the Canstar Outstanding Value Award – Account Based Pension in 2018-2025. Read the full methodology here. Awards and ratings are only one factor to be taken into account when choosing a super fund.
- Reader's Digest Most Trusted Brands – Superannuation category winner for 13 years running 2013–2025, according to research conducted by research agency Catalyst Research. Awards and ratings are only one factor to be taken into account when choosing a super fund. Read the full methodology.
- Minimum drawdown rates apply.
- AustralianSuper investment returns are based on crediting rates, which are returns less investment fees and costs, transaction costs and taxes. The analysis is net of administration fees with drawdowns and ending balance results rounded to the nearest $1,000. Returns don’t include all insurance and other fees and costs that are deducted from account balances. Investment returns aren’t guaranteed. Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future returns. Source: AustralianSuper
- Drawdown assumptions: Starting age: 65 in 2008. Drawdowns start at 5% of the year-end balance and increases with age based on current minimum rates. Drawdowns are redeemed monthly. Drawdown rates in the analysis: 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2018: 5%, 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2023: 6%, 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2025: 7%. Minimum rates available from the ATO: ato.gov.au/tax-rates-and-codes/key-superannuation-rates-and-thresholds/payments-from-super
- AustralianSuper Balanced investment option compared to the SuperRatings Pension Fund Crediting Rate Survey – SRP Balanced (60–76) Index to 31 December 2025. Investment returns aren’t guaranteed. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.