Almost two-thirds of Aussies believe superannuation fees are not transparent enough and 31 per cent lack confidence in the current system, according to a report.
The "Your Super Future" report by the Financial Services Council (FSC) and ING Direct found there is growing awareness on the impact of fees on super, with 38 per cent saying fees are too high.
The report said fees and better performance ranked equally (52 per cent each) as the most common reasons for switching funds.
ING Direct chief executive, Vaughn Richtor, said "As an industry we need to ensure that super funds are as simple and transparent as possible so that people can see how much they are likely to have accumulated by retirement and plan accordingly".
"I am particularly pleased that increasingly Australians are considering switching their super funds to get a better deal on fees performance, and transparency. It shows people are taking more control of their retirement savings," he said.
"We must do more to increase awareness of the long-term impact fees have on superannuation. Only around half of Australians said that lower fees would be a key driver for switching, despite the potential for fees to significantly detract from overall fund performance in the longer term."
The report said greater transparency would assist more fund holders to become better informed and more engaged with their super, and more confident in the broader system.
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.