Online wills key to driving greater engagement in super and retirement

Estate planning services will be a key gateway for driving greater engagement from super fund members in their savings and retirement, says Aware Super, as it expands its online wills service after a successful pilot program.

Aware launched its estate planning pilot in January 2025, in partnership with industry experts SafeWill, and recently made the service available to all members, which includes a simple will at no additional cost to their Aware membership.

Group Executive Member Growth Steven Travis said early take-up of online wills had exceeded expectations.

“The need for a robust and accessible online estate planning solution is immense,” Mr Travis said.

“It’s estimated $5 trillion will be passed down to the following generations over the next two decades¹ and there’s widespread understanding of the importance of having a legal will, yet up to 60 per cent of Australians don’t have one.

Mr Travis said super funds were in a unique position to reach millions of Australians with a message about the importance of estate planning, drive will uptake, and leverage that to open a broader conversation around savings and retirement.

“We believe estate planning will be an important gateway to encouraging our members to engage with their broader financial plan, including for their super and retirement,” Mr Travis said.

Aware Super has carefully integrated estate planning into the member journey, encouraging members to take other positive financial steps, such as updating the nominated beneficiaries of their super death benefit, consolidating their super, reviewing their insurances or booking an appointment with a financial adviser.

“These behavioural `nudges’ can be effective at motivating members to take other positive financial steps,” Mr Travis said. 

Founder and chief executive of Safewill Adam Lubofsky said estate planning was deeply connected to other important decisions people make about their lives and families. ”Integrating it into super helps make those decisions simpler and more connected to their long-term financial future,” he said.

All Aware Super members can create a simple, legal will at no additional cost, with the process typically taking about 20 minutes to complete.

Additional services are available for a small fee, including a customised will for members with more complex estates and the option to create a power of attorney.