We keep our costs competitive.
Profit-to-member
We always remember whose money it is and whose future we’re looking after.
Super returns
Our focus is on delivering strong long-term returns
Multi award-winning
You’re the reason we exist and we’re here to give you the best help we can
Smaller fees means bigger savings
Paying $163 a year less in fees can make a big difference to your future.[F1]
With more of your hard-earned cash working harder for you, you can feel confident your retirement is in safe hands. Unlike some retail funds, we have no shareholders to pay. This means we're able to reinvest profits to help deliver better services and keep fees lower.
What will you pay?
Let's break it down
Our goal is to be super helpful. To give you great services and investments while keeping our costs down.
Your fees cover the costs of managing and investing your funds. This could include administration, investments, and insurance.
Watch this short video to learn more about these different fees.
Administration fees and costs
Future Saver super accounts
If you have a super account (also known as accumulation account) you pay:
- an account-keeping fee of $52 per year, plus
- an administration fee of 0.15% of your account balance each year, up to maximum of $62.50 per month ( $750 per year).
Retirement Income and Retirement Transition accounts
On 1st June, if you have a Retirement Income or Retirement Transition account, you pay:
- an account-keeping fee of $52 per year, plus
- an administration fee of 0.17% of your account balance each year, up to a maximum of $108 per month ( $1,300 per year).
Administration fees and cost
Administration fees are paid into the fund’s administration reserve. The fund pays its administration costs from that reserve.
Any surplus in amounts paid into the administration reserve, together with credits from certain other sources (such as tax credits) are held in the reserve and may be used to fund administration and operating costs in subsequent years. This may include investment in strategic projects for the benefit of members.
In some years, the amount deducted from the administration reserve may exceed the amount paid into the reserve. For the 12 months to 30 June 2024, there was no excess amount deducted.
Investment fees and costs
Investment fees and costs are the costs paid for managing the fund’s investments for each option. They include an investment base fee and, where applicable, performance fees.
We pay these fees and costs from the fund or they are deducted from underlying investment vehicles before we calculate an investment option’s unit price; they’re not deducted directly from your account.
- MySuper Lifecycle
- Future Saver
- Retirement Transition
- Retirement Income
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| MySuper Lifecycle Stage | Investment fees & costs | Total investment fees & costs | Transaction costs | Total investment fees & costs and transaction costs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment base fees | Performance fees 5-year average | ||||
| GROW - Age 55 and under | 0.33% | 0.26% |
0.59% |
0.07% | 0.66% |
| MANAGE – Age 56 |
0.33% | 0.25% |
0.58% |
0.07% | 0.65% |
| MANAGE – Age 57 |
0.32% | 0.25% |
0.57% |
0.06% | 0.63% |
| MANAGE – Age 58 |
0.32% | 0.24% |
0.56% | 0.06% | 0.62% |
| MANAGE – Age 59 |
0.31% | 0.23% |
0.54% | 0.07% | 0.61% |
| MANAGE – Age 60 |
0.31% | 0.22% |
0.53% | 0.06% | 0.59% |
| MANAGE – Age 61 |
0.30% | 0.22% |
0.52% | 0.06% | 0.58% |
| MANAGE – Age 62 |
0.30% | 0.21% | 0.51% | 0.06% | 0.57% |
| MANAGE – Age 63 |
0.29% | 0.21% | 0.50% | 0.06% | 0.56% |
| MANAGE – Age 64 |
0.29% | 0.20% |
0.49% | 0.06% | 0.55% |
| ENJOY – Age 65 and over |
0.28% | 0.20% |
0.48% | 0.06% | 0.54% |
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| Investment option | Investment fees & costs | Total investment fees & costs | Transaction costs | Total investment fees & costs and transaction costs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment base fees | Performance fees 5-year average | ||||
| High Growth | 0.33% | 0.26% |
0.59% |
0.07% | 0.66% |
| Balanced | 0.31% | 0.22% |
0.53% |
0.06% | 0.59% |
| Conservative Balanced | 0.28% | 0.20% |
0.48% |
0.06% | 0.54% |
| Conservative1 | 0.24% | 0.13% |
0.37% | 0.05% | 0.42% |
| Defensive | 0.19% | 0.05% |
0.24% | 0.03% | 0.27% |
| High Growth Socially Conscious1,2 | 0.31% | 0.03% |
0.34% | 0.07% | 0.41% |
| Balanced Socially Conscious1 | 0.28% | 0.04% |
0.32% | 0.07% | 0.39% |
| High Growth Indexed | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% |
| Balanced Indexed | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% |
| Australian Shares | 0.05% | 0.00% |
0.05% | 0.01% | 0.06% |
| International Shares | 0.05% | 0.00% |
0.05% | 0.01% | 0.06% |
| Property3 | 0.08% | 0.17% | 0.25% | 0.00% | 0.25% |
| Bonds | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.08% |
| Cash | 0.04% | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.00% | 0.04% |
| Term Deposit | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
1 These investment options were introduced as new investment options on 11 May 2023. They are based on historical investment options offered to members of the VicSuper division of the fund prior to 11 May 2023. The 5-year performance fee average reflects the performance fees of the historical VicSuper investment options for periods prior to this date.
2 The High Growth Socially Conscious option commenced on 3 November 2022. The performance fees are therefore based on the performance fees from this date, rather than a 5-year average.
3 The Property investment option no longer incurs performance fees. On 31 December 2022, this option changed from investing in a combination of listed and unlisted property investments, to being fully invested in listed property. The performance fees shown in the table relate to the unlisted property assets that were part of this option before these changes were made.
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| Investment option | Investment fees & costs | Total investment fees & costs | Transaction costs | Total investment fees & costs and transaction costs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment base fees | Performance fees 5-year average | ||||
| High Growth | 0.33% | 0.26% |
0.59% |
0.07% | 0.66% |
| Balanced | 0.31% | 0.22% |
0.53% |
0.06% | 0.59% |
| Conservative Balanced | 0.28% | 0.20% |
0.48% |
0.06% | 0.54% |
| Conservative1 | 0.24% | 0.13% |
0.37% | 0.05% | 0.42% |
| Defensive | 0.19% | 0.05% |
0.24% | 0.03% | 0.27% |
| High Growth Socially Consious1,2 | 0.31% | 0.03% |
0.34% | 0.07% | 0.41% |
| Balanced Socially Conscious1 | 0.28% | 0.04% |
0.32% | 0.07% | 0.39% |
| High Growth Indexed | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% |
| Balanced Indexed | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.06% |
| Australian Shares | 0.05% | 0.00% |
0.05% | 0.01% | 0.06% |
| International Shares | 0.05% | 0.00% |
0.05% | 0.01% | 0.06% |
| Property3 | 0.08% | 0.17% | 0.25% | 0.00% | 0.25% |
| Bonds | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.08% |
| Cash | 0.04% | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.00% | 0.04% |
| Term Deposit | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
1 These investment options were introduced as new investment options on 11 May 2023. They are based on historical investment options offered to members of the VicSuper division of the fund prior to 11 May 2023. The 5-year performance fee average reflects the performance fees of the historical VicSuper investment options for periods prior to this date.
2 The High Growth Socially Conscious option commenced on 3 November 2022. The performance fees are therefore based on the performance fees from this date, rather than a 5-year average.
3 The Property investment option no longer incurs performance fees. On 31 December 2022, this option changed from investing in a combination of listed and unlisted property investments, to being fully invested in listed property. The performance fees shown in the table relate to the unlisted property assets that were part of this option before these changes were made.
Scroll table horizontally on mobile
| Investment option | Investment fees & costs | Total investment fees & costs | Transaction costs | Total investment fees & costs and transaction costs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment base fees | Performance fees 5-year average | ||||
| High Growth | 0.32% | 0.21% |
0.53% |
0.06% | 0.59% |
| Balanced | 0.30% | 0.18% |
0.48% |
0.07% | 0.55% |
| Conservative Balanced | 0.32% | 0.16% |
0.48% |
0.06% | 0.54% |
| Conservative1 | 0.26% | 0.11% |
0.37% | 0.05% | 0.42% |
| Defensive | 0.19% | 0.05% |
0.24% | 0.03% | 0.27% |
| Conservative Balanced Socially Conscious1 | 0.25% | 0.04% |
0.29% | 0.06% | 0.35% |
| Conservative Socially Conscious1,2 | 0.21% | 0.01% |
0.22% | 0.05% | 0.27% |
| Conservative Balanced Indexed | 0.05% | 0.00% | 0.05% | 0.01% | 0.06% |
| Conservative Indexed | 0.05% | 0.00% | 0.05% | 0.00% | 0.05% |
| Australian Shares | 0.05% | 0.00% |
0.05% | 0.01% | 0.06% |
| International Shares | 0.05% | 0.00% |
0.05% | 0.01% | 0.06% |
| Property3 | 0.08% | 0.17% | 0.25% | 0.00% | 0.25% |
| Bonds | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.08% | 0.00% | 0.08% |
| Cash | 0.04% | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.00% | 0.04% |
| Term Deposit | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
1 These investment options were introduced as new investment options on 11 May 2023. They are based on historical investment options offered to members of the VicSuper division of the fund prior to 11 May 2023. The 5-year performance fee average reflects the performance fees of the historical VicSuper investment options for periods prior to this date.
2 The Conservative Socially Conscious option commenced on 3 November 2022. The performance fees are therefore based on the performance fees from this date, rather than a 5-year average.
3 The Property investment option no longer incurs performance fees. On 31 December 2022, this option changed from investing in a combination of listed and unlisted property investments, to being fully invested in listed property. The performance fees shown in the table relate to the unlisted property assets that were part of this option before these changes were made.
Things to consider
- The tables summarise the annual investment fees and costs and transaction costs for each investment option.
- The investment fees and costs and transaction costs in the tables are indicative only and based on historical fee and cost data as at 30 June 2024.
- Performance fees reflect a five-year average, or the average for the period since the option commenced, if that period is less than five years.
- Past costs are not a reliable indicator of future costs.
- The actual amount you’ll pay in future years will depend on the fees and costs incurred by the trustee in managing the investment option(s).
- For more information on administration fees and costs, investment fees and costs and transaction costs, refer to the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
Additional information on fees and costs
Investment base fees include:
- fees paid to investment managers,
- the costs of the Aware Super Investment team,
- amounts paid to service providers such as our custodian, valuers, accountants, auditors and tax specialists,
- the estimated costs of over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives such as currency forward contracts used to help minimise the impact of currency fluctuations on investment returns,
- securities lending costs.
Aware Super doesn’t directly deduct any performance-based fees from member accounts. However, we have performance fee arrangements with a number of external investment managers. These costs may be paid from the assets of the fund or deducted from underlying investment vehicles and are subject to change without notice to you. When our external managers with performance fee arrangements perform well, you’ll typically pay higher investment fees and costs.
The performance fees shown in the above tables are an average of the last five financial years for each investment option. For investment options that have existed for less than five financial years, performance fees are shown as the average for the period since the investment option commenced.
Transaction costs may be incurred directly by the fund or through an underlying investment vehicle when buying and selling their assets. Transaction costs are deducted from the assets of the fund or an underlying investment vehicle and are an additional cost that reduces the return on your investment.
Transaction costs include brokerage, settlement and clearing costs, stamp duty, commissions, buy/sell spreads and due diligence costs.
The fund does not charge a buy-sell spread.
The fund does not charge a switching fee.
Other fees and costs
Advice
Everyone’s financial goals are different. No matter where you’re starting from, we can help you.
We can provide advice in relation to your Aware Super account over the phone or video at no additional cost to you.
If you need financial advice to help you reach your retirement and broader goals, we have a comprehensive advice service that is provided on a fee-for-service basis.
Insurance
If you have insurance, you will need to pay a monthly premium. The amount you pay depends on several factors like your age, cover amount and insurance category. We also deduct an insurance administration fee of $1.85 per month. This fee helps cover the cost of managing your insurance.
We receive a tax deduction for insurance premiums which we pass onto you when we deduct the premium. You can learn more about the cost of insurance in the relevant Insurance handbooks. Use the Insurance Calculator to estimate the cost.
[F1] Chant West Super Fund Fee Survey March 2025, High Growth [81-95% in growth assets] investment option index and $50,000 account balance. Fees and costs can vary from year to year. Past fees and costs are not a reliable indicator of future fees and costs. Fees and comparisons may differ for other investment options and account balances. Aware Super’s High Growth option as published in the Aware Super Future Saver PDS.