Super & Funds
How to make the most of the changing super system
The super compromise is far from ideal but all we can do is play the hand we're dealt, so here are possible strategies to adopt.
Big banks and AMP dominate 'fat cat' super funds
Bank-owned super funds dominate the ranks of "Fat Cat Funds" with high fees and poor performance, according to a new report.
Is your super fund a dud?
It's the time of year when super funds send annual statements for the year to June 30 to fund members. It provides the perfect opportunity to check if your fund is a dud.
Super compromise fair and logical
Top marks to the government for dumping the deeply flawed proposal to introduce a backdated lifetime $500,000 non-concessional contributions cap.
Are my self-managed super fund investments safe?
Financial expert George Cochrane answers readers' questions.
Super makes sense
The superannuation system is a tax system, and as annoyed as we are about changes, governments do change tax policy.
Government mulls national default super scheme to save $1.5b
The Turnbull government is considering a radical shakeup of Australia's superannuation system that would pit banks and industry funds against each other for the right to manage the deposits of every new entrant for at least two years.
The $25,000 hit to women in the super backdown
The compromise over superannuation includes a delay in the plans to let people roll over their concessional contributions, which will hurt carers, particularly women.
Super cap change a cave-in to the wealthy
The best tax shelter for the well-off this side of the Cayman Islands survives pretty much intact after Scott Morrison's super changes.
Super change brings lump-sum tax into focus
If you were hoping the superannuation proposals the government took to the election would provide certainty around super for years to come, you will be disappointed.
Retired public servants in the dark over tax on pensions
Former public servants with generous retirement benefits face a grey area in determining how their pension will be taxed.
Big tech is the worst place for young Aussies to invest right now
The launch of a new super product with a technology focus targeted at millennials has attracted attention, but caution is warranted.
Tech-focused super product called Spaceship to target millennials
Software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is leading a who's who of the Australian technology industry in backing a new superannuation product with a technology focus aimed at millennials.
P2P lenders not like having money with a bank
Online marketplaces can offer higher interest rates than banks, but customers need to realise that's not the only difference, writes John Collett.
Super will be Turnbull's key test: Grattan Institute
The Grattan Institute has identified superannuation as the most important test of Malcolm Turnbull's leadership.
Five reasons we don't have a retirement savings crisis
There are powerful vested interests pushing the idea that Australians need to save more for retirement.
Top-up super to low paid held hostage by reform package
The longer the politics over the reforms to the superannuation tax breaks continues, the worse it will be for the growing proportion of the workforce working part-time and casually.
Defined benefit fund members still in the dark over changes
It's still uncertain how the proposed $1.6 million cap on pension fund accounts will be applied to defined benefit pensions.
Reforms to super tax breaks are fair
The Turnbull government's plans to rein in the super tax breaks going to the well-off are modest and fair.
Labor flip-flops on super
Just when we thought we had a set of proposed changes to the superannuation system that everybody could agree on, and which were seen to be fair, Labor is trying to move the goalposts again.
Index tracking can miss the mark
Index investments are proving popular with investors.
Retirees are gaming the system to qualify for a pension
While older retirees may be reluctant to dissipate large amounts of capital to retain their previous pension entitlement, the investment returns now provide compelling reasons to do so.
Dumping a windfall into super is a lazy strategy and not the best one
The pending changes to superannuation could force people to think outside the box and end up much better off by doing so.
Profit reporting season so far so good
At the half-way point of the reporting season you'd have to say the trend is positive.
Forget unstable super, attack your mortgage while it's dirt cheap
Superannuation offers tax advantages but it can't beat the security of a fully paid off home and the time to tackle the debt mountain is while rates are cheap.
Why the age pension may beat $1m in super
There'll soon be more benefit from retiring with modest financial assets and getting the age pension than from amassing $1 million in super.
Morrison softens super stance
Treasurer Scott Morrison has confirmed plans to water down some of the superannuation changes announced in the budget, but says he'll hold the line on the most important elements.
Retirees feel the pinch as interest rates fall
There are concerns some retirees will take on more risk to chase higher returns.
Understanding your employer super benefits
How to understand the full details of the defence force's new and old super funds.