Crackdown on super fee disclosure welcomed
The Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) welcomed the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s (ASIC) move to crack down on misleading fee disclosure practices in the super industry.
AIST policy and research manager David Haynes is pleased ASIC is seeing the need to shield consumers from super funds that under-disclose their fees and costs for financial advantage.
Haynes said AIST was particularly worried about products that were marketed as 'low-fee’ or 'no-fee’, where in fact fees were just hidden.
“Funds not disclosing in the spirit of laws requiring full disclosure can be misleading consumers,” he said.
“In a compulsory super system, consumers must be able to easily compare funds based on meaningful and consistent information about fees and costs.”
In a report released this week, ASIC said many funds ignored costs associated with investing through external investment structures and only looked at the first layer of fees in underlying investment vehicles.
The financial services sector needs to be consistent in its disclosure of fees and costs, ASIC commissioner Greg Tanzer said.
ASIC is especially concerned about the disclosure of management costs.
Recommended for you
Australia’s largest super fund, AustralianSuper, has announced multiple additions to its executive leadership team to focus on global growth and innovation.
Super Review rounds up last month’s biggest people moves in the superannuation industry, including a new fund chair and a private markets head.
Investment returns for the Future Fund hit a milestone in September, adding $200 billion in value for the first time ever.
Australia’s largest super funds have deepened private markets exposure, scaled internal investment capability, and balanced liquidity as competition and consolidation intensify.
TOP PERFORMING FUNDS
ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND
Fund name
3y(%)pa
1
DomaCom DFS Mortgage
225.31 3 y p.a(%)
2
Loftus Peak Global Disruption Fund Hedged
120.73 3 y p.a(%)
3
Global X 21Shares Bitcoin ETF
72.47 3 y p.a(%)
4
Paradice Australian Mid Cap A
69.09 3 y p.a(%)
5
Global X Ultra Long Nasdaq 100 Complex ETF
61.94 3 y p.a(%)
