FS Super

Product intervention orders

PRAYAS PRADHAN   The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) made a product intervention order on 22 October 2020 that imposes conditions on the issue and distribution of contracts ...

Financial crime

ANDREW HOWARD   The conditions around the COVID-19 pandemic—economic uncertainty and lack of internal controls in a new digital workplace—have created the perfect ecosystem for financial ...

Integrating ESG into active systematic strategies

SETH WEINGRAM   ESG is one of the most important trends in contemporary investing, with ESG issues reported to affect investment risk and return, and asset owners demanding ESG strategies in ...

What to do about fixed income?

SETH WEINGRAM   Over the past four decades, the long-term sovereign bonds that typically dominate asset owners' fixed income allocations have delivered outstanding returns. Moreover, since 2000 ...

Insurance cover available through superannuation

AMY LEWIS   Superannuation funds typically offer three types of insurance to members. How age makes a difference to superannuation insurance If a member is over 25, most superannuation funds ...

Life insurance in superannuation: Improving member outcomes

AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY   Life and disability insurance are important benefits offered by superannuation funds to Australians. Under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SIS Act), all members ...

Digital advice key to keeping members engaged

STEVEN DAVISON   Digital advice is set to play a vital role for superannuation funds wanting to engage their growing memberships and steer them toward better retirement outcomes, says Midwinter's ...

Striking the balance

DANIEL MCKEAN   As confirmed by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), we now live in a world where cyber-related identity crime is "more common than robbery, motor vehicle theft, household ...

SuperStream and SMSFs: How will the changes affect practitioners?

LYN FORMICA   SMSF trustees now need to use, or at least be preparing to use, SuperStream when rolling monies in or out of their fund with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) stating that ...

Solving the longevity puzzle

FINTAN THORNTON   The risk of members outliving their retirement savings presents a significant challenge for retirees and superannuation funds alike. With the Retirement Income Covenant (the covenant) ...

SMSFs and overseas property

GRAEME COLLEY   An important part of a fund's investment strategy is for trustees to consider diversification of assets. This can take place amongst different investment classes, but also within ...

Do you have to pay superannuation to contractors?

ANGUS MORRISON   Want to know whether superannuation should be paid to contractors? If you engage contractors, the cost of getting this wrong can be extremely high. Government legislation is complex.

Avoiding mistakes with superannuation nomination beneficiary forms

AIA TECHNICAL TEAM   It is generally well understood that an individual is unable to include directions in their Will in relation to the distribution of death benefits by a superannuation fund trustee.

The psychology of super fund member segmentation

SIMON RUSSELL   Superannuation fund members are not all the same; but neither are they all entirely different. The more a fund can understand about its members, the more it can personalise its ...