Investing in your retirement: Australia’s top performing superannuation funds to watch out for
International and Australian shares have trended upwards in the last 12 months according to SuperRatings, so Aussies who have been making investments in their superannuation fund may be receiving strong returns.
But while it’s been reported that shares have been doing well this year, outcomes for unlisted property and alternatives have been more subdued.
SuperRatings suggest it’s a great time to review your super settings as funds begin to prepare annual statements. Regularly engaging with your superannuation will be time well spent when you see the potential impact on your retirement balance.
But according to recent research from Aware Super, more than a third of Australians have never made changes to investments within their superannuation accounts and 41% of younger Aussies have never made a voluntary contribution into their super fund.
“With the current economic climate, it’s easy for super to slip from your radar, but that’s probably more of a reason to give it a little attention. A small investment now can have profound effects on how much you love your retirement,” said Peter Hogg, Aware Super Head of Advice, Experiences and Enhancements.
As your super fund might be where you receive most of your income when you retire, it’s worth keeping tabs on the performance of your fund and seeing how you can improve your balance.
“We see funds offering members a range of investment options, it is worthwhile to note we are seeing different options perform well in different market conditions,” commented Executive Director of SuperRatings, Kirby Rappell.
He also notes that superannuation is a long term investment and it’s good for Aussies to remember that. While short term trends may be topical, the primary focus for SuperRatings is having member outcomes align with well performing funds over the long term.
Here are the best performing funds from the 2022/2023 financial year, based on recent data from SuperRatings:
Best balanced super funds over the last 12 months, as at 30 June 2023
| Rank | Option Name | 1 Year % | 10 Year % pa |
| 1 | ESSSuper Accum - Basic Growth | 13.3 | - |
| 2 | Vision SS - Balanced Growth | 11.0 | 8.1 |
| 3 | Brighter Super Accum - Balanced | 10.6 | 7.3 |
| 4 | UniSuper Accum (1) - Balanced | 10.3 | 8.4 |
| 5 | Equip MyFuture - Balanced Growth | 10.1 | 7.8 |
| 6 | Australian Retirement Trust - Super Savings - Balanced | 10.0 | 8.4 |
| 7 | IOOF Employer Super Core - IOOF MultiSeries 70 | 9.8 | 7.2 |
| 8 | Aware Super Future Saver - Balanced | 9.7 | 7.9 |
| 9 | Mercer Super Trust - Mercer Select Growth | 9.6 | - |
| 10 | HESTA - Balanced Growth | 9.6 | 8.0 |
| SR50 Balanced (60-76) Index | 9.0 | 7.5 |
Investment returns are not guaranteed, and any past performance is not an indicator for future performance.
Want to expand your super knowledge? Why not have a look at our super guides hub and find out how you can get more out of your retirement fund.