The government has opened an expressions of interest (EOI) process towards establishing a consumer advocacy body for superannuation.
An announcement from the Assistant Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and Financial Technology, Jane Hume, said the body would fill a “critical void in superannuation policy debates by becoming the voice of consumers”.
The announcement noted it was also a key recommendation of the Productivity Commission’s report ‘Superannuation: Assessing Efficiency and Competitiveness’, which found that super discourse was dominated by interests of funds and trustees rather than members.
The EOI would be open until 13 January, 2020 and interested parties would be able to provide feedback on how the body should be established and funded, its functions, and its governance and accountability arrangements.
Vanguard Super has reported strong returns across most of its investment options, attributed to a “low-cost, index-based approach”.
The fund has achieved double-digit returns amid market volatility, reinforcing the value of long-term investment strategies for its members.
Australian super funds notched a third consecutive year of strong returns, with the median balanced option delivering an estimated 10.1 per cent over the 2024-25 financial year, but an economist has warned that the rally may be harder to sustain as key risks gather pace.
AustralianSuper has reported a 9.52 per cent return for its Balanced super option for the 2024–25 financial year, as markets delivered another year of strong performance despite the complex investing environment.