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| Chris Pearce |
The Federal Opposition has warned any major changes to superannuation in next week’s Federal Budget will risk undermining confidence in the broader super regime.
The Opposition Spokesman on Superannuation, Chris Pearce, said that at a time of declining investment returns, super fund members were looking for certainty and this was not being assisted by the speculation surrounding the Budget.
Pearce also claimed that if the Government initiated changes to the superannuation tax structures for higher incomes earners, it would be effectively breaking a promise made by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, before the last election.
“Given what is happening to our economy right now, I would have thought it was the worst time to be undermining confidence in superannuation,” he said.
The regulator has fined two super funds for misleading sustainability and investment claims, citing ongoing efforts to curb greenwashing across the sector.
Super funds have extended their winning streak, with balanced options rising 1.3 per cent in October amid broad market optimism.
Introducing a cooling off period in the process of switching super funds or moving money out of the sector could mitigate the potential loss to fraudulent behaviour, the outgoing ASIC Chair said.
Widespread member disengagement is having a detrimental impact on retirement confidence, AMP research has found.