The Federal Government believes it has closed the door to the superannuation fund corporate hospitality box with the passage through the Senate of key legislation last week.
According to Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg the passage of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Improving Accountability and Member Outcomes in Superannuation Measures No. 1) Bill represented the effective implementation of a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry.
In doing so, Frydenberg specifically referenced the Royal Commission’s Recommendation 3.6 that trustees be prohibited from “treating” employers in return for “having the recipient nominate the fund as a default fund for having one or more employees of the recipient apply or agree to become members of the fund”.
The Treasurer said the legislation would also see directors of superannuation funds face criminal penalties for breach of their best interests duty and provide the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) with more powers to deal with underperforming superannuation funds.
The Future Fund’s CIO Ben Samild has announced his resignation, with his deputy to assume the role of interim CIO.
The fund has unveiled reforms to streamline death benefit payments, cut processing times, and reduce complexity.
A ratings firm has placed more prominence on governance in its fund ratings, highlighting that it’s not just about how much money a fund makes today, but whether the people running it are trustworthy, disciplined, and able to deliver for members in the future.
AMP has reached an agreement in principle to settle a landmark class action over fees charged to members of its superannuation funds, with $120 million earmarked for affected members.