5. Other budget announcements

5.2 Superannuation reforms

The Government will provide $159.6 million over four years from 2020/21 to implement reforms to improve outcomes for superannuation fund members.

Currently, structural flaws in the superannuation system mean that unnecessary fees and insurance premiums are paid on multiple accounts, members pay too much in super fees, underperforming products are costing members in lost retirement savings, and there is inadequate transparency on how funds are spending members’ money.

From 1 July 2021, the proposed reforms will make the system better for members in four key ways:

• Your superannuation follows you – An existing superannuation account will be ‘stapled’ to a member to avoid the creation of a new account when that person changes their employment.
• Empowering members – A new, interactive, online YourSuper comparison tool will help members decide which super product best meets their needs.
• Holding funds to account for underperformance – MySuper products will be subject to an annual performance test. Funds that underperform will need to inform their members. Funds that fail two consecutive underperformance tests will not be permitted to receive new members unless their performance improves. By 1 July 2022, annual performance tests will be extended to other superannuation products.
• Increased accountability and transparency – The Government will strengthen obligations on superannuation trustees to ensure their actions are consistent with members’ retirement savings being maximised. For example, trustees will be required to comply with a new duty to act in the best financial interests of members.