Where does your super go? How hard is it working for you? Come behind the curtain and find out how it all works.
Your super is money that’s saved during your working life so you can enjoy one of your biggest sources of savings when you retire. Generally 9.5% of your salary goes to your super, that’s a large amount of money - especially when you add it up over your entire working career. You’d certainly notice if it was added to your bank account each pay day.
Choosing a super fund
When you start a new job ask your employer if nominating a super fund is an option for you. If you are able to nominate a fund you may wish to consider the following things:
Performance of the fund
No one can predict which super fund will perform the best in the future. However, a history of long term strong investment returns is a good factor to consider when deciding on a fund. It can make a difference to the money you have available in retirement.
Fees and costs
All super funds have to charge fees and costs to help run the fund. High fees and costs can erode your super balance. So it's important to understand what fees you are being charged, the services you receive and how they compare in the market.
Consolidate and save
If you have more than one super account, consolidating your savings into one account could save you on fees and make it easier to manage. Before making a decision, look out for any fees or charges that may apply for closing an account and understand the impact of combining your accounts on benefits, such as insurance.
How money is added to your super account
Both you and your employer are able to add money to your super account. Here’s how:
Employer contributions
Your employer is required by law^ to add 9.5% of your salary to your super account so that you have money available to live more comfortably in retirement. This is called the Superannuation Guarantee (SG contribution). You will see this payment to your super account on your payslip from your employer. Each employer pays SG contributions at different times so you could see it in your super account monthly or even quarterly.
Not seeing these contributions?
Speak to your employer. Make sure they know which Fund you are with and have the correct account details for you. If you run into any problems, contact your Fund and ask for advice.
Personal contributions
There are other ways that you can add to your super. You might want to sacrifice some of your salary to your super through a salary sacrifice arrangement with your employer. Or, you could add to your super through BPAY. Before you make any extra contributions, you should consider your debt levels as well as current and future financial commitments.
How super is invested
No matter which super fund you choose, they will invest it so it can earn returns. Here’s how AustralianSuper invests super to help grow the balances of 2.2 million Australians:
- We set a goal for the investment returns we want to achieve each year. Our priority is to achieve superior long term returns (think strong performance over decades, not years) for members.
- Our team of experts invest your super in things like airports, roads, shopping centres, medical research and companies such as Google, Netflix and Amazon in order to help reach the goal.
- We have a network of investment professional all over the world who are actively managing your investments every day all over the world. Their job is to select the things to invest in that have the potential to outperform the market.
- We return any profits made from investing back to members. That means, all money beyond the costs of managing your super is returned to you. Our Balanced Option which nearly 90% of members are invested in has returned 9.71% since inception in August 1985*.
Things you can do
We believe the best outcomes happen when we both work on it. Here’s some things you can do
Check your balance regularly
You can see your super balance on your annual statement but you might also like to check in and see how it’s performing by logging in your super account online or on your mobile if your fund offers an app.
Review your insurance
When it comes to providing security for your partner or dependants, in the event of serious illness, disability or death, a simple review of your insurance now, can save you a lot of pain later. Super funds, such as AustralianSuper, generally offer basic cover when you sign up to the fund but it’s important to understand the flexibility on offer.
Consider your super if you change jobs
When you start a new job ask your employer if nominating a super fund is an option for you. Then, just like providing your bank details to your employer so your salary hits your bank account, the Choice of Fund form makes sure your employer’s contributions (usually around 9.5% of your salary) hits your nominated super account. You should compare super funds to make an informed decision.
Fees and costs related to super
Every super fund charges fees and costs to manage your super. Fees and costs can erode your balance so you want to check whether the fees and costs you are being charged are competitive in the marketplace but also serve your needs. These are the fees that you might see on your statement if you chose AustralianSuper as your super fund:
Administration fees
If you have a super account with AustralianSuper you'll pay just $2.25 per week, plus up to 0.04% pa of your total account balance to us to cover administration costs.
Learn more about about our low super fees
Insurance costs
They’re taken out of your super balance automatically. They depend on the level/amount of cover you have, your age, and the type of work you do. You can increase, reduce or cancel your cover as your needs change which will change the costs you pay for your insurance.
Investment costs
These fees are charged to cover the cost to us of managing your investments - costs like external investment management fees, performance related fees, plus transactional and operational costs.
What’s the end goal for your super?
Super is an important financial asset for working Australians that can help towards building a comfortable life in retirement. The more money you have in your super account, the more money that can be invested to earn returns. And the more your super grows, the more money available to you in retirement.
Discover why working Australians choose us
The right fund today could mean more money down the track.
Learn moreReferences:
^ In general, if your aged 18 or over and you earn at least $450 before tax per month from an employer you are eligible for SG contributions. Some individuals, such as those working under some contract arrangements, may not be eligible.
* Member allocations as at 31 December 2017. Return to 31 December 2017. Returns from equivalent investment options of ARF and STA are used in calculating returns for periods that begin before 1 July 2006.
Disclaimers:
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Investment returns are not guaranteed.
This information is general financial advice which doesn’t take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before making a decision about AustralianSuper, you should think about your financial requirements and refer to the relevant Product Disclosure Statement. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788, Trustee of AustralianSuper ABN 65 714 394 898.