Colonial First State

It’s “quite realistic” that many super funds will take too long to build the basics of a retirement income strategy, and the system might need a licencing regime to make sure members are getting the best service.

A different investment environment requires a different investment model, says Colonial First State, and funds will have to become more nimble if they’re to cope.

Numbers might give you some comfort but they don’t tell the whole story, according to CFS. To get that, you have to dig a little deeper – and take a lot of meetings.

The way super funds make money for their members is going to have to change, according to Colonial First State chief investment officer Jonathan Armitage. But retail funds might prove to have a natural advantage as the whole system shifts into a new gear.

There’s no end in sight for super fund consolidation, and even top performing funds are merging in an effort to keep up. But what gets lost in the debate is what members think of it all.

There has been a growing feeling among investors that sustainability is good – certainly not bad – for returns. Now, following the latest report by Sustainable Platform, there should be no further argument. The analysis, which includes rankings of the top 1,000 performing companies globally, as well as the bottom 1,000, shows that on a…

There is growing concern about the relevance of broad market indices, especially due to their poor reflection of China’s growth. The main concern should probably be managers who hug them. Whether or not it’s the index producers to blame, or managers who are not as active as they claim, an interesting angle on what is…

The three largest global custodian banks have enjoyed hefty increases in the total assets under custody and administration in the March quarter as markets continued to rebound. BNY Mellon is still the biggest. BNY Mellon remained the largest in the world, by a whisker, ahead of State Street, but third-placed J.P. Morgan Chase, America’s largest…

The theme for this year’s Chant West Awards is ‘resilience’. With the big challenges largely thrust upon them – regulatory changes, political sniping and the COVID crisis – the last year has probably been the toughest ever for super funds. A casual observer of the industry, getting most of his or her information on changes…

Strongly divided views about the wisdom of using the early release from superannuation have prompted large numbers of fund members to seek the advice of financial planners. Losing insurance cover, reducing retirement benefits and crystallising losses are the main issues commentators have highlighted. According to AMP’s technical adviser support team, early release of super was…