Almost one-quarter of super fund members have multiple super accounts to access better insurance options or to retain the option to return to the fund, according to an Investment Trends and QSuper report.
The 2012 Member Sentiment and Communications Report found 26 per cent of members had multiple accounts for specific reasons such as insurance or choice, although inertia was the number one reason.
Auto-consolidation was a mystery to 68 per cent of members, who were unaware of the upcoming industry changes, the report said.
It said only one in three members was aware of MySuper legislation and the raft of changes it would bring, although when prompted 58 per cent said they would want a lifecycle option.
QSuper chief executive Rosemary Vilgan said low awareness of the changes could allow superannuation funds to step in to educate members and engage them on MySuper.
"The strong support for lifecycle solutions indicates it's not possible for everyone to sit down with a financial planner who can tell them when and how to modify their strategy," she said.
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 Coalition, which has pledged to reverse any changes if it wins next year’s election.
In a new review of the country’s largest fund, a research house says it’s well placed to deliver attractive returns despite challenges.
Chant West analysis suggests super could be well placed to deliver a double-digit result by the end of the calendar year.
Specific valuation decisions made by the $88 billion fund at the beginning of the pandemic were “not adequate for the deteriorating market conditions”, according to the prudential regulator.