Compare super funds in Australia

One of the many challenges currently facing Australians is housing affordability. A potential solution that’s been proposed more than once is to allow Australians to access their super balance to pay for a home deposit.

However, a study from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) indicates that accessing super early may not actually make housing more affordable, and could actually make it worse. The AFSA study found that even if younger people completely drained their super balances, they still wouldn’t be able to afford the deposit on an average house in several capitals. And even for those with super balances that would let them buy, the extra purchasing power could see house prices rapidly rise across the market, further decreasing affordability.

It is already possible to use your super fund to help save for a deposit, using voluntary non-concessional contributions as part of the government’s First Home Super Saver Scheme. It’s also technically possible to use part of your superannuation to help cover your mortgage payments, such as when you’re in severe financial stress. But there are strict limits on accessing your super early for any reason, as it can make a big difference to your future retirement income and lifestyle.

Consider contacting a financial adviser for specific advice if you’re considering using your super to support your home-buying ambitions.

Updated by Mark Bristow on 5 April 2024

Superannuation (also known as ‘super’) is a compulsory savings scheme through which some of your income is set aside so you can have a nest egg waiting for you when you retire.

Different super funds offer different investment options to help you grow your retirement savings. There are also extra features, benefits, fees and charges to consider. It's important to compare different super options to make sure you choose a fund that best suits your financial situation.

If you are an eligible employee in Australia, your employer is responsible for paying your superannuation into your super fund account throughout the duration of your employment. Your employer will pay your super into your existing super fund, or set you up with a MySuper product if you are new to the workforce.

In accordance with current Australian Government outlines, your annual superannuation entitlements must be at least 10 per cent of your ordinary time earnings. For example, if you earn $100,000 per annum (before tax), your employer must pay you at least $10,000 in super per financial year. This is known as the ‘superannuation guarantee’ or SG.

The super guarantee contribution rate increased from 9.5 per cent to 10 per cent in July 2021, and is scheduled to increase by 0.5 per cent each year until it reaches 12 per cent in mid-2025. However, these increases to the super guarantee rate could be delayed, depending on Australia's economic situation. 

You may choose to pay extra money into your super fund, on top of what your employer is required to pay. This could include one-time payments, or a regular salary sacrifice arrangement with your employer. Some of these extra super contributions may be tax deductible. For more details, check with the ATO by visiting ato.gov.au.

Many super funds invest your super contributions into an investment portfolio. This may help grow your wealth faster than you’d likely earn in interest simply by depositing this money in a retirement savings account or term deposit. Different investment strategies may mean different returns on your investments.

Once you reach a certain age, you can start accessing money from your super fund as an income stream. This can help pay for your retirement lifestyle, reducing your reliance on the age pension.

There are five main types of superannuation funds:

Most super funds are accumulation funds. When you retire, the fund will pay you whatever superannuation you saved up during your working life.

Some corporate or public sector super funds are defined-benefit funds, though most are closed to new members. When you retire as an eligible employee, you’ll receive payment based on a formula. For example, you might receive ongoing retirement income calculated as a percentage of your final salary. You might instead receive a lump sum calculated on the number of years you spent with your employer.

MySuper is a government initiative that was introduced to replace the previous default funds system in order to provide lower cost, more simplified alternatives. If you don't have an existing super fund account when you start a new job, and don't nominate a new one yourself, your employer must pay your employer contributions into a MySuper fund.

MySuper products typically offer:

• Lower fees
• Simple features so you don't pay for services you don't need
• Life insurance unless otherwise requested

Australians have access to hundreds of superannuation funds and tens of thousands of investment options. It’s important to do your research to find the best super fund and best investment option for you, as choosing the wrong super fund or investment option can be costly.

There are five main factors to consider when choosing a superannuation fund:

Generally, you can only access your superannuation if:

• You’re permanently retired and you reach your ‘preservation age’, which is between 55 and 60, depending on when you were born, or;
• You’re still working and you turn 65.

Once you are eligible to withdraw your superannuation, you will typically have the option to receive it as a lump sum, an ongoing retirement income stream, or a combination the two.

There are a number of special circumstances in which you may be eligible for an early release of your super, including the following:

• If you’ve suffered permanent or temporary incapacity
• If you’ve received commonwealth benefits for 26 continuous weeks but still can’t meet your immediate living expenses
• If you’re seriously ill and need to pay for medical treatment
• If you have a terminal condition and are likely to die within two years

Consider visiting the ATO website for more detailed information on early super withdrawal.

The best superannuation fund is the one you believe will offer you the best value. Each person will have their own definition of ‘best’, depending on what they prefer.

For example, you may want to look for:

• The fund that has delivered the highest net returns/strongest performance over the past five years
• The fund that has earned the highest approval ratings on online review sites
• The fund that has investment options that best align with your own values

Those are just examples – you might have your own definition of what makes for the best super fund. Using comparison tools such as RateCity's superannuation comparison table can make it easier to focus on the factors that matter to you most.

Your superannuation will make a big impact on the kind of lifestyle you'll be able to afford once you retire. So, regardless of how far off retirement is for you, it's a good idea to keep an eye on your super balance and be proactive if it's below where you'd like it to be.

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has estimated how much money you'll need in retirement, based on your preferred lifestyle.

Budgets for various households and living standards for those aged around 65 (June quarter 2021, national)

Source: ASFA. Notes: The figures in each case assume that the retiree(s) own their own home and relate to expenditure by the household. This can be greater than household income after income tax where there is a drawdown on capital over the period of retirement.

ASFA figures show that the amount you should have in your super when you retire to support a comfortable retirement lifestyle is $640,000 for a couple and $545,000 for a single person - assuming a partial Age Pension.

Meanwhile, ASFA estimates that a modest retirement lifestyle is mostly covered by the Age Pension. In which case the amount of superannuation needed to support a modest retirement lifestyle for a single or couple is $70,000.

According to ASFA, a modest retirement lifestyle is "considered better than the Age Pension, but still only able to afford fairly basic activities", while a comfortable retirement lifestyle "enables an older, healthy retiree to be involved in a broad range of leisure and recreational activities and to have a good standard of living through the purchase of such things as; household goods, private health insurance, a reasonable car, good clothes, a range of electronic equipment, and domestic and occasionally international holiday travel".

If you plan to retire at 65, it's important to keep in mind that you'll likely need a retirement income for at least 20 years.

Parents who have taken time out of the workforce to care for children, as well as low income earners, will tend to have less superannuation than those who have been employed continuously, on an average to high income, for the four or five decades of their career. If this is the case for you, you may want to consider making voluntary contributions on top of the super guarantee if your budget allows.

Moneysmart's retirement planner calculator can help you calculate the income you're likely to get from super and the age pension when you retire, based on your personal financial details.

These types of contributions are considered voluntary superannuation contributions, and can be made in addition to employer contributions (namely the super guarantee).

To find out more about government co-contributions and to see if you are eligible, visit the ATO website.

Lost superannuation refers to savings in a super fund account that you may have forgotten about. This can happen if you've opened a new super fund account each time you've started a new job, instead of nominating an existing account.

You can use your MyGov account to see details of all your superannuation accounts, including any you might have forgotten. Alternatively, you can fill in a ‘Searching for lost super’ form and send it to the Australian Taxation Office, which will then search on your behalf.

Once you've found your lost super, the next step is to consolidate your funds into a single account of your choice. You can either do this yourself via your MyGov account, or get in touch with your chosen fund to see if they are able to consolidate for you.