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November 29th, 2023
At First Super, we offer many ways to invest your super. But you may be wondering which super investment option is best for you and whether you should choose one, or a mix.
Each of First Super’s pre-mixed investment options come with different risk levels and returns. ‘One size fits all’ does not apply when it comes to choosing an investment option. You will need to consider your appetite of risk, how old you are and how long you plan to work, and your retirement goals.
Our Financial Planners can help you choose an investment option that suits your needs.1 There is no additional cost to speak with a First Super planner about your First Super investments as it’s covered in your membership fees.
Here’s how one of our members got help from our Financial Planning team to compare and change his investment option, and the difference it could make to his retirement savings.
Steven2 had been a First Super member for a decade. When he joined the Fund, he defaulted into the Balanced investment option like most of our members.
He then decided to switch into a mixture of our Share Plus, Growth, and Balanced Accumulation investment options to maximise his long-term returns, while spreading the risk across a few different asset classes.
Over the following years, Steven was pleased with his choice and the earnings that had been generated. Even during volatile periods, Steven stuck with his investment choice, knowing that his super was invested for the longer term, and historically financial markets have bounced back over time.
Ten years later, Steven’s mind was starting to turn more towards retirement. Even though this was some years away, he was wondering whether this mixture of super investment options was still right for him.
First Super’s Financial Planner ran a questionnaire with Steven, who was assessed as having an ‘aggressive’ risk profile. This means the investor is prepared to accept higher investment risk in the search of higher returns.
Steven understood that his investment mix was mostly growth assets, with a small amount of defensive assets. Growth assets are investments such as Australian and international shares. These are likely to go up and down in terms of performance year to year but have the potential to grow over the long term.
Defensive assets are investments such as cash and fixed interest (for example, term deposits). They tend to produce lower long-term returns but are more stable. These types of investments are used when trying to protect your investment from the chance of a negative return.
While Steven understood his growth and defensive asset split, he was not aware of the underlying asset mix of his investment choice. Our Financial Planners calculated that Steven’s current investment mix was very similar to the Growth option.
Taking the returns for 2022/23 into consideration, his current mix of investment options would have generated a return of approximately 11.32%. Whereas the Growth investment option returned 11.49%.
Although this was not a large difference, the effect of compound interest over decades are likely to increase Stephen’s retirement savings more than his previous investment choice.3
With your First Super membership, you can get advice about your investment options at no extra cost. It’s all part of our service to you. Call us today on 1300 360 988 or email us.
Disclaimer
1First Super Financial Planners are authorised representatives of Industry Fund Services Limited (ABN 54 007 016 195, AFSL 232514).
2To protect anonymity, this member’s name has been changed.
3Past returns are not an indicator of future returns.
Issued by First Super Pty Ltd (ABN 42 053 498 472, AFSL 223988), as Trustee of First Super (ABN 56 286 625 181). This article contains general advice which has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider whether the advice is appropriate for you. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before making any investment decisions. To obtain a copy of the PDS or Target Market Determination please contact First Super on 1300 360 988 or visit firstsuper.com.au/pds.
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