NGS Super members will be able to move 80 per cent of their portfolio into a self-managed cash account used to directly access shares, exchange traded funds (ETF) and term deposits.
NGS Super fund members will need a minimum balance of $7000 to access the service - labelled NGS Self Managed - which will not be a full self-managed superannuation fund.
Rather, the documentation for the new offering describes it as an “interest-earning account held through NGS Super’s custodian with Macquarie Bank” that acts as a flexible transactional facility used to buy and sell investments.
The service will also have a low entry threshold with documentation from NGS stating “the NGS Self-Managed direct investment gateway is available to NGS Super or NGS Pension members with at least $7,000 invested in their account”.
To maintain the service NGS members will be required to keep at least 20 per cent of their total super or pension balance in pre-mixed or sector-specific fund options within an existing NGS Super or Pension fund.
The cash account will have no charge for set-up but will charge an administrator fee of $65 per year, an asset based fee of 0.10 per cent per annum and a direct investment gateway administration fee of $195 per year. Additional brokerage fees related to trading shares and ETFs will be levied on a sliding scale with iShares and Vanguard selected as the ETF providers to NGS.
Deloitte Access Economics has raised concerns about the government’s recent changes to the Future Fund’s investment mandate, questioning the necessity and implications of the reforms.
An industry body has praised the strong backing from institutional investors for Australia’s transition to renewable energy.
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.
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.