Latest News
Ask the experts: 2018 was a rough ride on the markets. Should I worry about my super?
February 28th, 2019
Corporate espionage, political power plays, and the ever-present threat of climate change made 2018 a whirlwind year for stock markets, buffeting super funds and stifling their returns. The average balanced super fund option finished 2018 with a flat return, and several had month-on-month dips into negative territory. That left many fund members understandably concerned about […]
Research shows strengths of not-for-profit super
February 27th, 2019
Not-for-profit superannuation funds have higher returns than retail bank-owned funds over time while also being less risky, new research from Chant West has shown. Not-for-profit funds, which include industry, public sector and corporate funds, have produced average returns over 15 years for the growth option (61-80 per cent growth assets) of 7.8 per cent. Retail funds meanwhile […]
Investment update
February 27th, 2019
January 2019’s investment returns provided a welcome boost to our Fund’s performance after a volatile period for share markets. The 2018/19 financial year got off to a positive start. Then followed volatility in Australian and international share markets between October and December 2018, which meant that First Super’s investments – like those of other super […]
Government takes action on inactive accounts
February 27th, 2019
Parliament passed new laws relating to superannuation in February, which will affect members who have inactive super accounts. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Protecting Your Superannuation Package) Bill 2018 looks to automatically consolidate (or combine) inactive low-balance members’ balances through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to prevent their savings from being eaten into by fees or other […]
First Super wins Money Magazine award
November 29th, 2018
First Super is celebrating after being named a Gold Winner in Money Magazine’s Best of the Best 2019 awards. The national industry super fund for the furniture and joinery, pulp and paper, and timber sectors won the Best Capital Stable Super Fund category for its Conservative Balanced option. In addition, the Fund scored second place in […]
First Super a “fit cat”
November 19th, 2018
Fund manager Stockspot has just published its Fat Cat Funds Report 2018 – its sixth annual assessment of superannuation funds. This review looks at the performance of Australia’s largest super funds to help Australians understand the factors that matter most when choosing a fund, and to draw attention to the impact of high fees on […]
AFCA: The acronym all Australian consumers should know
November 15th, 2018
A new independent body has been established to help consumers seek justice if they believe they have been treated unfairly by banks, insurers and other financial services providers. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), a new “one-stop shop” for Australian consumers to resolve problems with various providers, launched on 1 November. The Government first proposed […]