Is longevity risk 'overstated’?

1 May 2014
| By Kate Cowling |
image
image
expand image

The superannuation industry’s fixation on longevity risk could be distracting it from bigger-picture issues, an actuary believes.  

Addressing delegates at Super Review’s Post-Retirement and Ageing forum, State Super Financial Services’ managing director Michael Monaghan said that while there was a shortage of products on the market to deal with longevity risk, the severity of the issue might have been overstated.  

“I’m not one hundred per cent convinced that longevity risk is as bad as people make out,” he said.  

Fellow panellist Peter Lambert, CEO of Local Government Super, has long-heralded beliefs that the superannuation system is too focused on longevity risk, when the aged pension would be adequate for many.  

At the conference, he echoed the concerns and said the focus of the industry should shift to providing low cost advice for younger Australians.  

Monaghan called for industry-wide dialogue about how advice is delivered, particularly to address the mobile future.  

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest developments in Super Review! Anytime, Anywhere!

Grant Banner

From my perspective, 40- 50% of people are likely going to be deeply unhappy about how long they actually live. ...

1 year 4 months ago
Kevin Gorman

Super director remuneration ...

1 year 4 months ago
Anthony Asher

No doubt true, but most of it is still because over 45’s have been upgrading their houses with 30 year mortgages. Money ...

1 year 4 months ago

A member body representing some prominent wealth managers is concerned super funds’ dominance is sidelining small companies in capital markets....

18 hours ago

While the latest quarterly CPI print exceeded expectations, most economists still anticipate a rate cut, especially amid growing downside risks to global growth stemming ...

18 hours ago

Earlier this month, several Australian superannuation funds fell victim to credential stuffing attacks, which saw a small number of members lose more than $500,000....

18 hours ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND
Fund name
3y(%)pa
1
DomaCom DFS Mortgage
93.34 3 y p.a(%)
2
5
Plato Global Alpha A
28.73 3 y p.a(%)