POWERED BY MOMENTUM MEDIA
GFC super illiquidity still taking its toll
A retired couple have lost their bid to have the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT) force their superannuation fund close their accounts in an illiquid investment, seven years after the Global Financial Crisis.
A recent determination in the SCT has revealed that a husband and wife who had their account-based pension accounts frozen as a result of illiquidity issues in 2008 were still seeking to access the funds in 2013.
The case, dealt with in September last year, saw the SCT uphold the right of the superannuation fund not to release the members' funds on the basis that illiquidity remained an issue and that the members had been included in all subsequent redemption windows.
The SCT said that the trustee had explained that the accounts for both complainants were illiquid and that to pay them out would be to the detriment of other fund members.
Further, it said the trustee had also pointed out that the decision of suspending withdrawals from the fund was a decision of an external responsible entity the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and was beyond the control of the Trustee.
The SCT found in favour of the superannuation fund trustee because it had kept the members informed and their for withdrawal were made at a time when "the APRA exemption was extant, and the Trustee acted fairly and reasonably and within the terms of the exemption in rejecting the requests for complete transfer while continuing to release portions of the Fund that they deemed reasonable in all the circumstances".
Recommended for you
The two funds have announced the signing of a non-binding MOU to explore a potential merger.
The board must shift its focus from managing inflation to stimulating the economy with the trimmed mean inflation figure edging closer to the 2.5 per cent target, economists have said.
ASIC chair Joe Longo says superannuation trustees must do more to protect members from misconduct and high-risk schemes.
Super fund mergers are rising, but poor planning during successor fund transfers has left members and employers exposed to serious risks.
TOP PERFORMING FUNDS
ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND
Fund name
3y(%)pa
1
DomaCom DFS Mortgage
88.01 3 y p.a(%)
2
Global X 21Shares Bitcoin ETF
72.60 3 y p.a(%)
3
Global X GlobalX FANG+ ETF
44.46 3 y p.a(%)
4
Pengana High Conviction Equities B
39.12 3 y p.a(%)
5
Pengana High Conviction Equities A
39.05 3 y p.a(%)
