With International Women’s Day approaching next week, Fidelity has found less than half of women feel confident in their ability to make superannuation contributions.
In a financial independence survey of over 2,000 people, the firm found 47% of women were confident in their ability to make super contributions compared to 63% of men.
Women were also less likely to be contributing to their super and one in three women said they lacked a plan for retirement.
Some 55% of women said they were contributing nothing to their superannuation in a personal capacity while 15% said they were personally contributing 1%-4% of their income.
The firm found men expected they would need more than $1 million in assets in retirement while women expected they would need around $600,000.
More than half of pre-retiree women said financial stress had impacted their health compared to two in five men.
Alva Devoy, managing director of Fidelity International, said: “We are already seeing the potential impact of a lack of financial independence and confidence with women over 55 now the fastest-growing group to experience homelessness in Australia.
“Another Fidelity survey of older Australians shows women continue to less engaged with their finances with only 10% of pre-retiree women saying they feel in control of their finances compared to 25% of men.
“Not only does this leave them at risk in the future, it also has significant impact on their overall wellbeing including both mental and physical health.”
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.