SuperRatings Media

Despite most funds earning a median of close to 11%, the effect of fund fees will ensure that the majority of Australians will receive just a tick under 10% for the 2009/10 financial year on their super, with the median return for Australia’s largest Balanced investment options officially set at

Despite a roller coaster ride for Australians, in which super funds lost almost 5% in the last two months, our major super funds are still on track to deliver a strong estimated median return for Balanced investment options of some 9.6% for the 2009/10 financial year.

A key upshot of the Global Financial Crisis is that typical Australian super investors in balanced options are having to cope with more investment volatility than ever before. As super funds are intrinsically linked to listed share markets around the world, the incredibly volatile world markets have translated straight through

Contradicting the theory that when times are tough personal values are thrown out the window, sustainability has remained at the forefront of debate as we emerge from the economic recession that took hold over the last three years.

With only three months remaining in the 2010 financial year, Australia’s Superannuation Funds are poised to provide members with double digit returns. Assuming the trend continues, this would lead to an unprecedented 5 double digit returns within the last 7 years and be a substantial turnaround from the losses members

The issue of small and lost account balances in the superannuation industry has once again come to the forefront with SuperRatings’ just released research showing that small and lost accounts in the Eligible Rollover Fund (“ERF”) sector continues to grow, with an additional 140,000 accounts being created last financial

Despite the Australian share market continuing to contribute outstanding results to Australian’s super accounts over the past twelve months, with the median balanced option up 17.6% to the end of February, industry regulator, APRA, yesterday publically released performance data that to the general consumer has the potential to completely undermine

If ever consumers were to be taught a lesson about using short term results for investment decisions, it should be based on the last twelve months. Such was the impact of the Global Financial Crisis that just 12 short months ago the median balanced option in Australia’s largest super funds

After experiencing their worst year on record in 2008, when the median balanced option lost 19.7%, Australia’s major super funds have staged a remarkable recovery in 2009, by returning 12.9% for the year. However, this was not without angst, with a virtually flat first half of the year being followed

Super is unlikely to rank highly at Christmas time dinners now that returns for November show yet another gain, taking the past twelve months returns to over 10%. The median balanced super fund option posted its 8th gain in the last 9 months with a further 1.31% added to most

October marked the first possible sign that super funds’ incredible fight back may have come to an end. On the back of declining local and international share markets, and a continually strong dollar, the median Australian super funds’ balanced option posted its first negative return in eight months, with a

2009 is a year to remember with the 5 highest monthly returns on Australian Share super options in the last five years occurring in the last seven months. Never have we seen super funds jump so quickly, with the median one year rolling return on balanced options set to return

REST, Australia’s largest superannuation fund in terms of members has been named as SuperRatings Fund of The Year for 2010.

At a gala event attended by over 300 of the industry’s leading figures in Melbourne last night, REST took the coveted award away from HOSTPLUS who had won the award

The surging Australian share market, including the listed property sector, sits behind a sustained superannuation fund rally which has now extended positive returns to the sixth straight month. This six month streak is the exact opposite to the previous six months, where six consecutive negative returns were recorded.

SuperRatings has completed its 2009 review of the Australian superannuation fund market and is pleased to advise of the top 10 super funds and the top 5 pension funds in the country as measured across over 400 different criteria.

The 2009/2010 financial year started on a high for super members with July posting the fifth straight month of positive returns. This is a strong positive result for superannuants as their account balances slowly start to recover the losses that have previously been suffered.

Much has already been reported on the interim performance of Australia’s super funds for the year to 30 June 2009. However, we are now pleased to provide the final industry returns for Australia’s major investment options, which make up the key SuperRatings’ indices.

Continued market volatility, and record losses for Australia’s major super funds, have combined to delay a number of funds’ declaration of their final earning rates to members for 2008/09.

SuperRatings’ Managing Director, Jeff Bresnahan, made the following comments on this matter: “Just over 55% of funds have been able to

Surging local and particularly international share markets continued to assist Australian super funds in May with the median “Balanced” super option posting a 1.01% positive return for the month, bringing the last three months’ turnaround to a positive 6.25%. However, whilst these gains are a welcome relief to investors, it

Despite the significant negative effect that the Global Financial Crisis has had on our super funds, over 88% of Australians’ pre-retirement super monies continue to be held in mid to higher risk investment options. This is down just 3.3% from the 91.8% figure one year before.
Conversely, post-retirees

Super funds staged a remarkable recovery in April with the SR50 Balanced Index posting the strongest 1 month return this millennium. Driven by a resurgent share market, the April result added to the positive month of March have dragged the financial year return back to -13.71% after reaching -18.32% at

The issue of small and lost account balances in the superannuation industry has once again come to the forefront with SuperRatings’ recent research showing that small and lost accounts in the Eligible Rollover Fund (“ERF”) sector soared by over 12% in 2007/08.

Driven by a sharp bounce in listed local and international share markets, Australia’s major super funds posted their strongest result for some time with a median gain of 2.24% for the month. Whilst strong in real terms, it was somewhat below the expectations given that world share markets surged over

Despite a further 3.66% median drop for super funds’ balanced options in February, March is set to recoup the loss and finally add some positive cash flow to Australians’ super accounts. A sharp rally in both Australian and International share markets should see many balanced options recording close to a

Australian super funds continue to improve their procedures with regard to addressing environmental, social, governance, ethical and climate related issues.

In its second annual review of the superannuation sector in respect of the above issues, covering some 76 funds representing over 15 million members and approximately $370 billion in assets

Australian super funds started the 2009 calendar year in a similar manner to the way they suffered during 2008 with the median balanced option recording a loss of 1.85% for January.«

Australian super funds finished 2008 on a flat note with the median balanced option recording a marginal loss of 0.12% for December. This monthly result completed a tumultuous calendar year for all Australians, with the median balanced investment option recording a loss of 19.67% over that period.

Despite further falls on world share markets in November, which fuelled a further 3.1% drop in superannuation fund earnings for the month, the longer term 5 and 10 year performance numbers are showing a determined resilience, underlying the strength of many funds’ long term investment strategies.

Super Funds were severely affected by the October share market rout with the median balanced investment option recording a loss of -6.65% for the month. These are unprecedented times for all Australians in relation to their superannuation fund and many funds are expanding their communications to try and explain just

Most super funds still deliver on their objectives even with market turmoil, but, just 24% of fund options make it easy for consumers to understand.

Have super funds met their long term objectives and how would a member know anyway?

Superannuation funds continue to take a battering from the listed Australian and International share markets with the median fund posting its fourth successive negative quarterly return of -3.4% for the quarter ended 30 September 2008.

HOSTPLUS, one of Australia's largest superannuation funds with over 900,000 members, has been named as SuperRatings Fund of the Year for the third successive year.