A small percentage can make a huge difference in the long term when it comes to fees and costs.
Super is a long-term product, so it’s a good idea to compare us with the market and make sure you’re getting the best value for money.
As one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, we use our size and stability to keep costs down. Your fees go directly towards the costs of managing your investments and providing great member services such as seminars and financial advice.
4 things to consider with fees and costs
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Look at the total cost
Super funds can report their fees in different ways, so make sure that you’re comparing apples with apples, and look at the total cost. Every MySuper fund will have a product dashboard available on their website that helps you to compare fees and costs.
View product dashboard -
It’s about more than just fees
The growth of your super balance depends on a range of factors, not just fees. Investment returns are also a big factor in growing your superannuation savings, although a fund or option that has performed well in the past won't necessarily perform well in the future. You should also consider the level of service and features like simple advice that can help you to manage your super effectively. An independent comparison service can help you to compare different super funds.
Compare funds
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Are you paying fees for multiple accounts?
If you have multiple accounts, then you may be paying multiple sets of fees. Consider if it’s in your best interests to combine your accounts into one to save on fees. When considering whether
Combine your super
it’s in your best interests to combine your accounts, remember to check whether you will lose and be able to get the equivalent type of insurance cover and where future employer contributions may be paid. -
Think about your insurance needs
Insurance is often provided automatically with your super unless you opt out. Assess what cover you need, then check what your level of cover is and how much it costs, as premiums and levels of cover available will vary.
Calculate costs and cover
Investment fees
Investment fees reflect a broad range of fees and costs associated with the purchase/sale and ongoing management of investments of the fund and underlying investment vehicles. This includes fees paid to investment managers, as well as amounts paid to a variety of third parties such as our custodian, brokers and government authorities. These amounts are paid from the assets of the investment option before we calculate the unit price and are not deducted directly from your account.
Investment fees may vary from year to year and cannot be precisely calculated in advance.
Important: The investment fees shown below are indicative only and are based on the fees and costs for each investment option for the 12 months to 30 June 2019, including several components which are estimates only. The actual amount you'll pay in future years will depend on the actual fees, costs and taxes incurred by the trustee in managing the investment option.
Implicit transaction, borrowing and property operating costs may also affect your investment but are not included in the table below. For more information on these costs, please refer to the Additional explanation of fees and costs section of the Member Booklet Supplement: Fees and other costs.
Estimated investment fees (% per year)
| Investment option | Investment- related costs | Performance- related costs | Transaction costs | Other fees and costs | Total investment fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Growth | 0.35% | 0.26% | 0.11% | 0.13% | 0.85% |
| Growth^1 | 0.33% | 0.25% | 0.10% | 0.12% | 0.80% |
| Diversified Socially Responsible Investment | 0.28% | 0.10% | 0.08% | 0.13% | 0.59% |
| Balanced Growth^1 | 0.28% | 0.18% | 0.08% | 0.11% | 0.65% |
| Conservative Growth | 0.24% | 0.14% | 0.05% | 0.11% | 0.54% |
| Australian Equities | 0.05% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.09% |
| Australian Equities Socially Responsible Investment | 0.18% | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.27% |
| International Equities | 0.06% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.09% |
| Property | 0.46% | 0.27% | 0.15% | 0.12% | 1.00% |
| Australian Fixed Interest | 0.05% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.03% | 0.08% |
| International Fixed Interest | 0.07% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.12% | 0.19% |
| Cash | 0.03% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.04% |
Additional information on other types of fees and costs for accumulation accounts are provided below
Administration fees
If you have an accumulation account, you’ll pay $52 per year ($4.33 per month) plus an asset-based administration fee of 0.15% of your account balance each year (up to a maximum of $750).
You can view the administration fees for our income stream accounts here.
Insurance fees
You will pay insurance premiums if you have insurance. The amount you pay depends on the level/ amount of cover you have, your age, and the type of work you do.
In addition, to offset the costs of administering your insurance we retain $1.20 per year, per unit of death and total and permanent disablement (TPD) cover, and $0.60 per year, per unit of death cover only.
If you’re a member, you can log into your account to view your insurance cover and monthly premium.
You can read more about our insurance here
Advice fees
We can provide simple advice in relation to your Aware Super account over the phone at no additional cost to you.
You will only be charged an advice fee if you would like more complex advice, and the fees you’ll pay will be discussed and agreed with you at that time. The first meeting is complimentary and if you decide not to go ahead, there's no obligation.
You can read more about financial advice and make an appointment here.
Other potential fees
| Type of fee or cost | Amount | How and when paid |
|---|---|---|
| Buy-sell spread | Nil | The fund does not charge a buy-sell spread. |
| Switching fee | Nil | The fund does not charge a switching fee. |
| Family law application fee - This fee is for providing information as required under the Family Law Act. | $110 | Payable to us by the person making the request for information at the time a request is made. |
| Family law splitting fee - This fee is for processing a family law payment split. | $88 | The fee is shared equally between both parties and deducted from each party’s benefit at the time the benefit is split unless all of the benefit is going to the non-member spouse (in which case the non-member spouse pays the full fee). |
For more information on fees and costs, please refer to the Additional explanation of fees and costs section of the Member Booklet Supplement: Fees and other costs.
Please note from financial year 2020, exit fees can no longer be charged by superannuation trustees except as allowed by regulations. The trustee does not charge an exit fee for this product.
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The fees shown are the same for MySuper and Choice members. ↩
