The Government needs to remove superannuation policy from the regular budgetary cycle to provide stability and help restore confidence in the system, an association believes.
The SMSF Association used its 2017 Budget submission to urge the Government to resist further changes to the system.
The association’s head of policy, Jordan George said stability for super should extend beyond tax settings and include broader issues such as ensuring that it was not used to fund first home deposits.
“Such proposals should be easily evaluated and assessed against strong and fit-for-purpose objectives for superannuation. On the other hand, sensible changes that improve the system and make it more efficient by reducing red-tape should meet the system’s objectives and be proceeded with,” he said.
“…The association believes it is essential that the Government commits to a period of stability for superannuation free of significant changes, especially concerning tax settings.
“This would allow superannuation funds and their members a period to ensure that they have the correct strategies in place to comply with the new rules and maximise their opportunities to build retirement savings.”
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.