UniSuper has seen retirees lead digital adoption as personalisation, security and simplicity drive extraordinary online engagement across older members.Retirees are emerging as some of UniSuper’s most digitally engaged members, overturning long-held assumptions about older Australians and technology, according to the fund’s head of digital experience, Brendan Donoghue.
Speaking to Super Review on how digital personalisation is reshaping member engagement, Donoghue said UniSuper has recorded “extraordinary uptake of digital”, particularly among older members.
According to Unisuper, the average member logs in about 22 times a year, while the average member over 60 logs in 37 times.
“The digital engagement that we see in that cohort is just extraordinary,” he said, attributing the result to designing services with older members in mind from the outset.
UniSuper has focused on accessibility and simplicity rather than heavy education. Donoghue said the industry often spends too much time explaining why something matters instead of building experiences that are seamless to use.
A key example is the redesign of binding death nominations. Previously, members were presented with lengthy explanations of different beneficiary types. In response, the fund built a simplified digital binding non-lapsing death nomination.
“We ultimately just [got members who wanted] to be able to tell us where to put their money in the event of their passing,” he said.
Since launch, 60,000 members have used the service in its first year, a 300 per cent increase on previous years, according to the fund.
Donoghue said the widespread belief that older Australians do not engage with technology is being disproven. The fund observed that 88 per cent of members over 60 are digitally engaged, logging in almost twice as often as the average member base.
He said three factors explain the shift: simplicity, security and reliability. Processes must be easy to complete, accessible by design and demonstrably secure.
UniSuper deliberately builds “intentional friction” into key moments, such as multi-factor authentication and identity checks, to reinforce trust.
“We are very comfortable to interrupt that flow, because we know that the users are really appreciative of that, because it shows that they’re actually being kept safe and secure,” he said.
Equally important is follow-through.
“If you say that you can do something online, let them complete it online,” he said, warning that forcing members back to paper forms undermines adoption.
Looking ahead, Donoghue said technology is expanding, not replacing, advice. UniSuper has launched its first digital advice offering, helping members understand their risk profile and receive investment recommendations.
The tool is already delivering more pieces of advice than face-to-face teams, adding capacity rather than displacing advisers.
He said engagement must start earlier, not just at retirement. UniSuper’s retirement income and savings calculators now remain within members’ online dashboards, dynamically prompting updates and showing whether they are on or off track.
By embedding tools into everyday digital experiences, the fund aims to build an ongoing partnership with members well before retirement decisions become urgent.
Across the broader industry, Donoghue expects digital-first servicing to become the norm. At UniSuper, 87 per cent of pension withdrawals are now processed without human intervention, with only 13 per cent reviewed manually for additional checks.
He said the shift has delivered faster processing, stronger security and higher member satisfaction compared with paper-based systems.
On automation and artificial intelligence, Donoghue said AI is one step in a longer evolution from manual processes to fully digital servicing.
“AI is an incredible technology, and it’s going to be an incredible tool for the superannuation industry,” he said, adding that UniSuper remains focused on applying new technology where it clearly improves member outcomes and meets regulatory expectations.
