Three things to consider when switching your super
Understanding how your super works and ensuring you get the most from your fund are essential to achieve the retirement lifestyle you envision.
.
Three things to consider when switching your super
The superannuation guarantee is a percentage of your income put aside by your employer over your working life to help you fund your retirement.
It’s easy to forget sometimes that superannuation counts as investing and is in fact one of the most important long-term investments Australians will ever make, particularly as super is now the second largest component of household wealth after property assets and still the foundation of retirement savings.
Understanding how your super works and making sure you are getting the most out of your fund is therefore essential to growing your wealth and ensuring you can live the retirement lifestyle you envision.
Choosing a super fund and investment option may seem daunting, or simply just not on your radar as retirement may seem too far in the future to think about now. The danger with this however is that if you don’t select a super fund for your employer to pay contributions into, you could end up defaulting into a fund that is underperforming or end up with several funds on which you’ll have to pay individual fees. This will impact your superannuation balance in the long run.
1. What kind of investor are you?
Consider first what kind of approach you’d like to take toward your super as this can then help inform which investment offer you select. For example, are you more of a hands-off investor who prefers to leave investment decisions like asset allocation and rebalancing to your super fund’s investment experts? Or are you more hands-on and would prefer to mix and match investment options to build a super portfolio that’s unique to you?
For those who prefer a hands-off approach, most super funds offer a MySuper default option that usually invests in a single diversified fund or a lifecycle offer. These default options are designed to be simpler, balanced, more cost-effective and less maintenance.
MySuper option for example is called Lifecycle and is designed to automatically adjust your investment mix according to your age, allowing you to set and forget.
Vanguard Super also offers a choice menu for more confident investors who would like to select from a range of single sector and diversified investment options to build their own portfolio according to their goals and risk tolerance.
2. Compare your options
As with all investing, doing your own research or consulting a licensed financial adviser is important. When selecting or switching super funds, there’s a range of factors you could consider including investment options, investment performance, insurance, user experience, and importantly, fees.
There are a few tools online that can help you easily compare super funds and find one that best suits your circumstances. The MoneySmart website created by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission is a great place to start, as well as the Australian Tax Office’s YourSuper comparison tool.
3. Understand your fees
The long-term impact of fees on superannuation balances can be significant if left unchecked. New research from Vanguard Australia revealed that 1 in 2 Australians don’t know what they pay in annual fees.
According to analysis conducted by the Productivity Commission, just a 0.5% increase in fees could cost a typical full-time worker around $100,000 by the time they retire.
That’s why it’s critical to not only understand your fees but also make sure your fund is low cost.
Vanguard
March 2024
vanguard.com.au
Hot Issues
- ATO encourages trustees to use voluntary disclosure service
- Beware of terminal illness payout time frame
- Capital losses can help reduce NALI
- Investment and economic outlook, August 2024
- What the Reserve Bank’s rates stance means for property borrowers
- How investing regularly can propel your returns
- Super sector in ASIC’s sights
- Most Popular Operating Systems 1999 - 2022
- Our investment and economic outlook, July 2024
- Striking a balance in the new financial year
- The five reasons why the $A is likely to rise further - if recession is avoided
- What super fund members should know when comparing returns
- Insurance inside super has tax advantages
- It’s never too early to start talking about aged care with clients
- Capacity doubts now more common
- Most Gold Medals in Summer Olympic Games (1896-2024)
- SMSF assets reach record levels amid share market rally
- Many Australians have a fear of running out
- How to get into the retirement comfort zone
- NALE bill passed by parliament
- Compliance focus impacts wind-ups
- LRBA interest rates increase for 2025
- Income-free areas set to increase from 1 July
- Most Spoken Languages in the World
- Middle-to-higher incomes boosting SMSF growth
- Investment and economic outlook, May 2024
- Transitioning into retirement: What you should know
- Plan now to take advantage of stage 3 tax cuts
- Deeming freeze a win for Age Pensioners
Article archive
- April - June 2024
- January - March 2024
- October - December 2023
- July - September 2023
- April - June 2023
- January - March 2023
- October - December 2022
- July - September 2022
- April - June 2022
- January - March 2022
- October - December 2021
- July - September 2021
- April - June 2021
- January - March 2021
- October - December 2020
- July - September 2020
- April - June 2020
- January - March 2020
- October - December 2019
- July - September 2019
- April - June 2019
- January - March 2019
- October - December 2018
- July - September 2018
- April - June 2018
- January - March 2018
- October - December 2017
- July - September 2017
- April - June 2017
- January - March 2017
- October - December 2016
- July - September 2016
- April - June 2016
- January - March 2016
- October - December 2015
- July - September 2015
- April - June 2015
- January - March 2015
- October - December 2014
April - June 2024 archive
- Middle-to-higher incomes boosting SMSF growth
- Investment and economic outlook, May 2024
- Transitioning into retirement: What you should know
- Plan now to take advantage of stage 3 tax cuts
- Deeming freeze a win for Age Pensioners
- Downsizer contributions can be time critical
- The superannuation changes from 1 July
- The Deadliest pandemics in History
- Budget breakdown – Federal Government Analysis
- Winners & Losers
- Federal Budget 2024
- Getting to a higher level of financial literacy in Australia
- What is the future of advice and how far off is superannuation 2.0?
- Investment and economic outlook, April 2024
- Australia’s debt service ratio ‘extraordinary’: CBA
- Connecting an adviser with your children
- ACCC scam report
- The Shortest-reigning Monarchs in History
- ATO warns trustees about increasing crypto scams
- Aged care report goes to the heart of Australia’s tax debate
- Removed super no longer protected from creditors: court
- ATO investigating 16.5k SMSFs over valuation compliance
- The 2025 Financial Year Tax & Super Changes You Need to Know!
- Investment and economic outlook, March 2024
- The compounding benefits from reinvesting dividends
- Three things to consider when switching your super
- Oldest Buildings in the World.