The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has used its submission to the Federal Government’s Henry Review of Taxation to state that it still wants the superannuation guarantee lifted to 15 per cent and that it believes this should be achieved by 2015.
The ASFA submission, details of which have been released by the organisation, also calls for an approach that makes superannuation contributions more tax effective, including ensuring the tax advantage on their super contributions is lower than their marginal tax rate.
The submission also calls for some tweaking of the current regulatory system to encourage people to remain in the workforce beyond age 65 if they are capable of doing so.
It said in this context, the social security and taxation systems for those aged over 65 needed to be considered simultaneously.
The submission also broached the issue of increased life expectancy and longevity risk and argued individuals will need to be able to defray longevity risk by accessing, on a cost-effective basis, retirement products that provide longevity insurance or a guaranteed income for life.
The ASFA submission also urged financial advice on a fee-for-service basis should be tax deductible.
Vanguard Super has reported strong returns across most of its investment options, attributed to a “low-cost, index-based approach”.
The fund has achieved double-digit returns amid market volatility, reinforcing the value of long-term investment strategies for its members.
Australian super funds notched a third consecutive year of strong returns, with the median balanced option delivering an estimated 10.1 per cent over the 2024-25 financial year, but an economist has warned that the rally may be harder to sustain as key risks gather pace.
AustralianSuper has reported a 9.52 per cent return for its Balanced super option for the 2024–25 financial year, as markets delivered another year of strong performance despite the complex investing environment.