Is longevity risk 'overstated’?

1 May 2014
| By Kate Cowling |
image
image
expand image

The superannuation industry’s fixation on longevity risk could be distracting it from bigger-picture issues, an actuary believes.  

Addressing delegates at Super Review’s Post-Retirement and Ageing forum, State Super Financial Services’ managing director Michael Monaghan said that while there was a shortage of products on the market to deal with longevity risk, the severity of the issue might have been overstated.  

“I’m not one hundred per cent convinced that longevity risk is as bad as people make out,” he said.  

Fellow panellist Peter Lambert, CEO of Local Government Super, has long-heralded beliefs that the superannuation system is too focused on longevity risk, when the aged pension would be adequate for many.  

At the conference, he echoed the concerns and said the focus of the industry should shift to providing low cost advice for younger Australians.  

Monaghan called for industry-wide dialogue about how advice is delivered, particularly to address the mobile future.  

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest developments in Super Review! Anytime, Anywhere!

Grant Banner

From my perspective, 40- 50% of people are likely going to be deeply unhappy about how long they actually live. ...

11 months ago
Kevin Gorman

Super director remuneration ...

11 months 1 week ago
Anthony Asher

No doubt true, but most of it is still because over 45’s have been upgrading their houses with 30 year mortgages. Money ...

11 months 1 week ago

Jim Chalmers has defended changes to the Future Fund’s mandate, referring to himself as a “big supporter” of the sovereign wealth fund, amid fierce opposition from the Co...

1 day 6 hours ago

Demand from institutional investors was the main driver of growth in Australia’s responsible investment (RI) market in 2023, as the industry continued to gain momentum....

1 day 6 hours ago

In a new review of the country’s largest fund, a research house says it’s well placed to deliver attractive returns despite challenges....

1 day 7 hours ago