What is MySuper?

A MySuper fund is a low-cost, simple superannuation fund product. A MySuper product is usually the default super product offered by superannuation funds to members, and it's where the majority of Australians have their super invested.

What is MySuper?

MySuper is a type of superannuation account, and is usually the default option offered by Australian super funds. This means when you join a super fund you'll automatically be placed in the fund's MySuper investment option, unless you choose to be in a different option.

All Australian employers have a default super fund for employees who don't already have their own super fund, or who don't want to choose a super fund themselves. MySuper is a government initiative to provide simple super products for employers to choose as their default fund for employees. MySuper options have basic features and fee structures allowing members to compare funds easily based on cost, investment performance and insurance.

The idea of MySuper products is that they are low-cost, simple products without any confusing investment options or special features that are hard to understand. MySuper products are offered by both retail super funds and industry super funds as an investment option alongside their existing investment options.

The features of MySuper

MySuper typically have the following features:

  • Low fees (although some are much higher than others, so you still need to compare)
  • Simple features
  • Simple, default insurance options which you can easily opt out of if you wish
  • A single diversified investment option, or
  • A lifecycle investment option based on your age
  • Investment strategy that isn't too high-growth, or too conservative

Finder survey: What is the average age Australians set up an SMSF?

Response
408.26%
507.34%
185.5%
205.5%
254.59%
304.59%
353.67%
373.67%
653.67%
152.75%
212.75%
282.75%
332.75%
462.75%
582.75%
602.75%
161.83%
221.83%
291.83%
311.83%
421.83%
451.83%
481.83%
511.83%
521.83%
541.83%
631.83%
120.92%
190.92%
240.92%
260.92%
360.92%
380.92%
430.92%
490.92%
550.92%
560.92%
570.92%
590.92%
620.92%
640.92%
700.92%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1016 Australians, December 2023

MySuper investment options

There are two main investment options offered by MySuper products; a diversified investment portfolio or a lifecycle strategy that invests based on your age.

Lifecycle investment option

With this option, your super is invested according to your age. For example when you're young your super will be invested in more high-risk growth assets like local and international shares, because you have more time to ride out any market volatility. If you're older (for example in your 50s) your super will be invested in more low-risk options like term deposits and bonds.

This is a good set-and-forget investment strategy because it will be adjusted for you as you get older, to make sure it's invested appropriately. This means you won't have to think about your super until you're looking to retire, which is appealing for a lot of people who don't want the stress of managing their super.

Single diversified investment option

This investment option offers one single diversified portfolio (diversified simply means it's got a mix of different assets, such as shares, property, infrastructure, fixed interest and cash). This option doesn't invest in line with your age, but is still managed on your behalf and continually adjusted. A lot of these investment options will allocate about 70% of your super balance to growth assets (higher risk, but higher return assets like shares) and about 30% to defensive assets (like cash products). They're usually called 'Growth' or 'Balanced' options.

It's likely that the super fund you've currently got your super balance in is a MySuper fund, but just isn't named as such. Here are some examples of popular super funds and their default MySuper option.

Super fundMySuper product
AustralianSuperAustralianSuper Balanced
Australian Ethical SuperAustralian Ethical Super Balanced
HostplusHostplus Balanced
SunsuperSunsuper Lifecycle Balanced
REST SuperREST Super Core Strategy
UniSuperUniSuper Balanced

Compare super funds

1 - 13 of 549
Name Last 1 year performance (p.a.) Last 3 year performance (p.a.) Last 5 year performance (p.a.) Last 10 year performance (p.a.) Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
Virgin Money Super Indexed Overseas Shares
Virgin Money Super logo
Indexed investmentHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+29.11%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+11.73%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+13.36%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$385
Go to siteMore Info
Australian Retirement Trust - International Shares Index (unhedged)
Australian Retirement Trust logo
Finder Award
Industry fundIndexed investmentHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+26.07%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+10.34%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+12.28%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+11.92%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$192
Go to siteMore Info
Virgin Money Super - LifeStage Tracker
Virgin Money Super logo
Lifestage
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+15.61%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+6.76%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+8.11%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$363
Go to siteMore Info
Your fund's asset allocations adjust automatically as you age, offering you more growth opportunity when you're younger and lower-risk investments as you approach retirement.
Vanguard MySuper - Lifecycle Age 47 and under
Vanguard logo
Lifestage
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+16.44%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$280
Go to siteMore Info
Hostplus Indexed Balanced
Hostplus logo
Industry fund
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+14.22%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+6.59%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+7.63%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+7.75%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$135
Go to siteMore Info
HESTA Conservative
HESTA logo
Industry fund
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+6.01%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+3.73%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+4.16%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+5.21%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$357
Go to siteMore Info
UniSuper - Sustainable Balanced
UniSuper logo
Finder Award
Best Rated Brand
Industry fundEthical
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+15.25%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+4.41%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+7.2%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+7.79%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$316
Go to siteMore Info
Vanguard Super SaveSmart - International Shares
Vanguard logo
Higher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+28.23%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$280
Go to siteMore Info
HESTA Balanced Growth
HESTA logo
Industry fund
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+11.03%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+5.7%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+7.06%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+7.72%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$457
Go to siteMore Info
Hostplus - International Shares - Indexed
Hostplus logo
Industry fundHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+28.59%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+11.35%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+12.97%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$155
Go to siteMore Info
loading
Showing 10 of 46 results

The information in this table is based on data provided by SuperRatings Pty Limited ABN 95 100 192 283, a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No.1309956) of Lonsec Research Pty Ltd ABN 11 151 658 561, Australian Financial Services Licence No. 421445. In limited instances, where data is not available from SuperRatings for a product, the data is provided directly by the superannuation fund.

*Past performance data and fee data is for the period ending December 2024

Disclaimer: Performance, fees and insurance data is based on each fund's default MySuper product. Where the performance, fees and insurance data for the MySuper fund vary according to the member's age, results for individuals between 40-49 years of age have been shown. This article is general advice. You should consider your own personal circumstances before deciding if a superannuation product is right for you. Superannuation is a long term investment and past performance is not indicative of future performance.


The pros and cons of MySuper

Pros:

  • Lifecycle investment strategy is a great set-and-forget option.
  • MySuper must offer a standard level of life and Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance.
  • MySuper is easy understand, and simple to use and manage.
  • MySuper should have lower fees than standard retail super funds

Cons:

  • Some critics say MySuper places too much emphasis on low fees and not enough on performance.
  • If you want to be very 'hands-on' with your super this option might not be for you
Alison Banney's headshot
Written by

Editorial Manager, Money

Alison is an editor at Finder and a personal finance journalist with over 10 years of experience, having contributed to major financial institutions and publications such as Westpac, Money Magazine, and Yahoo Finance. She is frequently quoted in media outlets like SmartCompany and SBS, offering expert insights on superannuation and money management. Alison holds a Bachelor of Communications in Public Relations and Journalism from the University of Newcastle, and has earned three ASIC RG146 certifications in superannuation, securities and managed investments and general financial advice, ensuring her expertise is fully aligned with ASIC standards. See full bio

Alison's expertise
Alison has written 638 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Superannuation
  • Savings accounts, bank accounts and term deposits
  • Budgeting and money-saving hacks
  • Managing the cost of living

Ask a question

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

  • Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
  • finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
  • We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
  • Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

4 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    DarrenAugust 22, 2019

    What is the difference between MYSUPER and a regular BALANCED fund?

      Finder
      JeniAugust 23, 2019Finder

      Hi Darren,

      Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

      A balanced fund is a type of investment option while MySuper is one of the superannuation options for Australians. Your fund’s various investment options may contain the same types of assets, but at a different weighting and to suit the level of risk you are comfortable with. You can learn more about the balanced funds.

      I hope this helps.

      Thank you and have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

    Default Gravatar
    PaulMay 19, 2017

    I wish to compare the % return on my allocated pension accounts with you, with my “locked up ” account with BT.
    All the years from 2009 onwards please. Also is the annual charge still $400 , in fact , what are the total annual costs with my cbus and , if relevant , when did they change.
    (I intend fighting Westpac and wish to hi-lite what’s available compared with their awful costs and financial adviser performance.)
    Thank you in anticipation.

      Finder
      MayMay 30, 2017Finder

      Hi Paul,

      Thank you for reaching out. Please note that you’ve come through to finder.com.au – a financial comparison website and general information service designed to help consumers make better decisions. We do not offer super funds and we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site so we can only offer general advice.

      I’m afraid we do not have that information you are looking for. Is your account with Cbus? If so, please contact them directly if you’d like to compare the return on your allocated pension and all other fees and charges as well as the changes on your account.

      In case, you can also find super funds available for you on our website. You can also read more details on industry super funds.

      Alternatively, you can speak to a financial adviser who can help you manage your super.

      Cheers,
      May

More guides on Finder

  • Vanguard Super: Performance, features and fees

    With Vanguard Super you are automatically invested in the Lifecycle option, which adjusts your investments as you age. You can also mix and match your investments from several other options.

  • Super on paid parental leave

    Going on parental leave will impact your super. Here are the rules for super on parental leave and how to look after your super balance while you're off work.

  • Benefits of superannuation

    Superannuation has many benefits. It’ll help fund your retirement, but it also offers tax discounts, investment benefits and discounted insurance cover, too.

  • Superannuation statistics 2024

    There are 24.4 million super accounts in Australia with assets totalling $3.9 trillion. Find out the latest superannuation statistics.

  • Australian Retirement Trust vs HESTA

    We've compared the fees, investment options and performance for both Australian Retirement Trust and HESTA to help you choose between these two popular super funds.

  • Best super funds Australia – 5 expert picks

    We've analysed Australian super funds to find the best-performing super funds, the best industry super funds and the best super fund for low fees. Find the right super fund for you.

  • Australian Retirement Trust | Performance, features and fees

    Sunsuper is an industry super fund that meets your needs as you move through the workforce and transition into retirement.

  • Super co-contribution: What is the government co-contribution?

    Find out if you're eligible for the government's co-contribution scheme, potentially receiving up to $500 for making personal after-tax contributions.

  • Retail super funds

    Here's how retail super funds work and how they compare to industry super funds. Compare retail super funds here and find the best one for your needs.

  • Early release of super

    Explore the intricacies of the early release of super, including eligibility criteria and application steps. This guide provides essential insights for accessing your superannuation funds prior to retirement.

Go to site
Compare super fund performance in seconds