The ability of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to maintain stability in the superannuation industry may be at odds with its ability to deal with issues in the industry, the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry has been told.
Setting the scene ahead of the Royal Commission’s hearings on the superannuation industry, counsel assisting the Royal Commission, Michael Hodge QC, pointed to an “inherent tension” confronting APRA in terms of industry stability and enforcement action.
Hodge similarly pointed to some of the overlaps and tensions with respect to the role of APRA and that of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) with respect to regulating the superannuation industry.
He signalled that the roles of the regulators with respect to superannuation would be examined later in the Royal Commission process.
The super fund announced that Gregory has been appointed to its executive leadership team, taking on the fresh role of chief advice officer.
The deputy governor has warned that, as super funds’ overseas assets grow and liquidity risks rise, they will need to expand their FX hedge books to manage currency exposure effectively.
Super funds have built on early financial year momentum, as growth funds deliver strong results driven by equities and resilient bonds.
The super fund has announced that Mark Rider will step down from his position of chief investment officer (CIO) after deciding to “semi-retire” from full-time work.