Industry funds have been warned against resting on their laurels just because they emerged largely unscathed from the Royal Commission.
The chief executive of Australian Super, Ian Silk told the opening plenary of the Conference of Major Superannuation Funds (CMSF) on the Gold Coast that there was no room for “triumphalism” just because not profit to member funds had been referred to the regulators by the Royal Commissioner, Kenneth Hayne.
“The fact that industry funds emerged largely uncriticised is no cause for triumphalism,” he said. “The fact that not found to have done anything significantly wrong should be the minimum standard,” he said.
“There is no place for complacency or hubris. The retail sector may regroup albeit that their business model makes that a challenge,” Silk said.
The AustralianSuper chief executive also asked profit to member superannuation funds to question whether they were doing the best for their members in terms of services and returns to members.
“Are we capable of providing the new services and products, including retirement products that members will need,” he asked.
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.