Chant West has announced the final three award finalists for its Super Fund of the Year awards.
This included a new category for 2022, Best Fund: Responsible Investment which sought to find the best fund offering responsible investment to its members.
This included Active Super, Australian Super, Australian Ethical, Aware Super, Cbus, HESTA and UniSuper.
Chant West general manager, Ian Fryer, said: “Fund members want to make more informed decisions when it comes to their super, and this award will help define best practice and highlight those that are genuinely ‘raising the bar’ when it comes to responsible investing”.
In the Best Fund: Integrity section, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Cbus and Colonial First State were nominated. This category would cover those funds which were successfully meeting members’ needs and delivering on their promises.
Finally, Hostplus and TelstraSuper were shortlisted in the Best Fund: Innovation category.
The Chant West Super Fund of the Year awards would be held on 25 May in Sydney.
The Super Members Council (SMC) has called for streamlined super reporting to cut costs, boost investment flows, and strengthen retirement outcomes.
AustralianSuper’s reliance on unlisted assets dragged on performance over the past year, as the rally in listed markets left funds more heavily weighted to equities outperforming their peers.
IFM Investors has urged for government-industry collaboration to accelerate projects, unlock capital, and deliver long-term returns for Australians.
With super funds turning increasingly to private credit to lift returns, experts have cautioned that the high-yield asset class carries hidden risks that are often misunderstood.