Superannuation fund fees have come under public scrutiny in recent years, with some observers arguing that fees are set too high. This report focuses on a sample of Australian superannuation funds to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence the fees that they charge. We examine...

There is considerable debate about the size of fees charged by superannuation funds. This paper investigates both investment fees and administration fees and shows that there are economically valid reasons why most investment fees are set at their current level. Our results show that on average,...

Superannuation fees have come under public scrutiny in recent years with the belief that many are set too high. Using a comprehensive dataset of Australian superannuation funds, we examine the relationship between investment fees and fund performance. We find that the most expensive funds...

We deploy a stochastic life-cycle model to examine how differing levels of the superannuation guarantee (SG) impact on the welfare of individual Australians under existing superannuation, tax and pension eligibility rules. Our main focus is the effect of various assumptions on the optimal SG,...

Over the past five years, the Australian superannuation system has been subject to a programme of policy and regulatory change of considerable scope and ambition: the Stronger Super initiatives. This article presents the findings of qualitative research undertaken with the fund executives on...

This paper summarizes views on the superannuation system and its regulation collected through interviews of fund executives. While the majority of interviewees saw the superannuation system as working relatively well, some areas of concern were detected. Issues raised relate to: certain aspects...

This report examines the Australian superannuation default fund landscape following the introduction of MySuper. The two main products are outlined – single strategy ‘balanced' and lifecycle – including their underlying asset allocation and glide path strategies. While lifecycle approaches...