The Financial System Inquiry's (FSI) proposed superannuation definition could be interpreted for super to only provide assistance up to the level of the Age Pension, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) believes.
In its submission to Treasury, ASFA proposed the objective of super to "ensure that all working Australians, save for their retirement throughout their working life to achieve an adequate level of income throughout retirement".
ASFA chief executive, Pauline Vamos, said "while we support the FSI proposal to ‘provide income in retirement to substitute or supplement the Age Pension', we believe that if narrowly interpreted, it could mean that superannuation only provides assistance up to the level of the Age Pension".
"This would not be an acceptable outcome for the community and would fall well short of delivering on the social goals of the system."
"Our alternative proposes that the system delivers adequate retirement outcomes with commensurate economic and social well-being, free from undue hardship," Vamos said.
"Achieving a comfortable retirement is the hope and aspiration of the bulk of Australians, and the achievement of this is fundamental to Australia's economic and social well-being".
Australian super funds are expected to invest trillions of dollars in international markets by 2035, with the US emerging as the top destination for these funds, according to a new report commissioned by IFM Investors.
Generation Life has backed new voluntary best practice principles aimed at improving retirement income solutions for Australians, despite opposition from parts of the financial services sector.
Australia’s pension assets pool is set to surpass other key economies, new research from the Super Members Council (SMC) has shown.
The Federal Court has ordered AustralianSuper to pay $27 million for failures to address multiple member accounts.