People should take a long-term view when assessing the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) Quarterly MySuper Statistics reports, according to the regulator.
Speaking at the Senate Standing Committee on Economics hearing in Canberra, yesterday, APRA chairman, Wayne Byres, urged caution in analysing the initials Quarterly MySuper Statistics reports, covering the four quarters ending September 2013 to June 2014.
"These publications mark an important milestone in the Stronger Super reform process, and are part of a much broader and richer suite of superannuation publications that APRA is implementing," he said.
"However, it is critically important that users of the statistics remember that long-term performance is the key determinant of members' retirement outcomes and consider all aspects of the products that are provided - not just investment returns over short periods.
"For MySuper products in particular, it will be sometime yet before there is sufficient information available to assess the impact of the reforms in enhancing outcomes for members."
The future of superannuation policy remains uncertain, with further reforms potentially on the horizon as the Albanese government seeks to curb the use of superannuation as a bequest vehicle.
Superannuation funds will have two options for charging fees for the advice provided by the new class of adviser.
The proposed reforms have been described as a key step towards delivering better products and retirement experiences for members, with many noting financial advice remains the “urgent missing piece” of the puzzle.
APRA’s latest data has revealed that superannuation funds spent $1.3 billion on advice fees, with the vast majority sent to external financial advisers.