UniSuper Guide | Features & Investment Options

Finder Best Balanced Super Fund 2024 winner

UniSuper - Sustainable Balanced

UniSuper - Sustainable Balanced took out the top spot in the balanced super fund category. This fund had a winning combination of strong performance over 1, 3 and 10 year periods plus low fees.

UniSuper performance and fees

When joining the fund you'll be placed in the Balanced option initially, however you can switch to another investment option at any time.

1 - 17 of 17

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.)
UniSuper - Sustainable High Growth Finder AwardIndustry fundEthicalHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +16.62%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +4.29%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +9.2%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +9.94%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $321	Go to site More Info Compare
UniSuper - Sustainable Balanced Finder AwardIndustry fundEthical	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +13.79%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +3.59%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +6.97%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +7.94%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $286	Go to site More Info Compare
UniSuper - Balanced Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +10.51%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +4.33%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +6.75%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +7.84%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $351	Go to site More Info Compare
UniSuper - Growth Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +12.36%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +4.43%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +8.1%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +8.69%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $426	Go to site More Info Compare
UniSuper - High Growth Industry fundHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +13.45%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +4.91%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +9.35%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +9.8%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $411	Go to site More Info Compare
UniSuper - Conservative Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +5.74%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +3.19%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +3.35%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +4.43%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $366	More Info Compare
UniSuper - Conservative Balanced Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +7.51%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +4%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +4.23%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +5.71%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $366	More Info Compare
UniSuper - Australian Shares Industry fundHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +13.64%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +7.58%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +9.97%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +9.12%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $321	Compare
UniSuper - International Shares Industry fundHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +16.89%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +3.35%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +10.44%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +11.22%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $391	Compare
UniSuper - Global Companies in Asia Industry fundHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +15.89%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +6.86%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +11.83%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +13.05%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $316	Compare
UniSuper - MySuper Balanced Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +10.51%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +4.33%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +6.75%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +7.84%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $351	Compare
UniSuper - Australian Bond Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +4.12%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) -1.81%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) -0.69%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +1.91%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $166	Compare
UniSuper - Australian Dividend Income Industry fundHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +18.23%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +8.43%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +7.51%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +8.46%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $301	Compare
UniSuper - Australian Income Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +7.26%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +3.44%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +2.65%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +2.58%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $266	Compare
UniSuper - Cash Industry fund	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +4.3%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +2.74%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +1.8%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +1.85%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $131	Compare
UniSuper - Global Environmental Opportunities Industry fundHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) -11.09%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) -7.05%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +7.04%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +8.59%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $286	Compare
UniSuper - Listed Property Industry fundHigher risk	Last 1 year performance (p.a.) +18.02%	Last 3 year performance (p.a.) +2.71%	Last 5 year performance (p.a.) +3.29%	Last 10 year performance (p.a.) +7.3%	Fees on $50k balance (p.a.) $211	Compare

Showing 17 of 17 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 August 2024

What do Australians think of UniSuper super fund?

4.46/5 overall for Customer Satisfaction — higher than the average of 4.06, and this was the highest score in the category
4.87/5 for Trust — higher than the average of 4.45, and this was the highest score in the category
4.42/5 for Customer Service — higher than the average of 4.07

Based on UniSuper super fund scores in Finder's 2024 Customer Satisfaction Awards.

2024 Super funds Customer Satisfaction Awards winner:

Unisuper

Unisuper took the top spot in this year's super funds customer satisfaction award. Unisuper got the highest overall score of 4.46 out of 5. UniSuper scored highly for every category, especially in customer service. Find more about Finder Super Funds Satisfaction Awards 2024.

Finder Best Low Fee Super Fund 2024 Highly commended

UniSuper - Sustainable High Growth

UniSuper - Sustainable High Growth took out the highly commended spot for best low fee super fund award.

Key features of UniSuper

High-performing fund. UniSuper has been among the top performing Growth super funds in recent years. Although past performance isn't a reliable indicator of future performance.
Low fees. The Balanced option has lower annual fees in comparison to many other balanced super options in the market.
Originally designed for those working in higher education. UniSuper was originally designed for Australians working in the higher education and research sector, however it is now open to everyone to join.
MySuper product. The UniSuper Balanced investment option is an approved, low-cost, no-frills MySuper option for members.
Seven pre-mixed investment options. Members can choose between seven different pre-mixed investment options that each have a different risk level and asset allocation.

UniSuper pre-mixed investment options

Members can choose between seven pre-mixed, diversified investment options depending on the level of risk you want to take on. If you don't make an investment choice, you'll be placed in the Balanced options, which is UniSuper's default MySuper investment product.

Investment option	Risk level	Target asset allocation
Conservative This option has the lowest level of investment risk and invests largely in fixed interest and cash. It's designed for members looking to protect their balance, with some growth over the medium term.	Medium	Growth: 33% Defensive: 67%
Conservative Balanced This option has an even balance between growth and defensive assets. It's designed for members who aren't comfortable taking on too much risk and who wish to avoid market fluctuations in the short term, while still gaining some level of capital growth.	Medium to High	Growth: 52% Defensive: 48%
Balanced This is the default investment option and is designed to suit the majority of members. It has around two thirds of your balance invested in growth assets like Australian and international shares and property.	High	Growth: 72% Defensive: 28%
Sustainable Balanced This option has the same high level of exposure to shares as the Balanced option, however the investments are selected on the basis of sustainable investment criteria.	High	Growth: 70% Defensive: 30%
Growth This option provides more allocation to growth assets than the Balanced option, and may suit members looking for a bit more exposure to shares. It's designed for members with a longer investment timeframe of at least 10 years.	High	Growth: 86% Defensive: 14%
High Growth This option invests entirely in growth assets, with almost 90% of your balance invested in shares. It's the most high-risk investment option available, and aims to achieve higher returns over the long term.	High	Growth: 100%
Sustainable High Growth This option has the same high level of exposure to shares as the High Growth option, however the investments are selected on the basis of sustainable investment criteria.	High	Growth: 100%

Sector investment options

If you want to be a bit more hands on with your super, you can create your own investment mix by selecting from one or more of the following individual sector options.

Note that these sector options are designed to be mixed together to form a diversified portfolio, rather than invest your whole balance in one individual sector.

Australian bond
Australian Equity Income
Australian Shares
Cash
Global Companies in Asia
Global Environmental Opportunities
International Shares
Listed Property
Diversified Credit Income

UniSuper default insurance cover

Eligible members will receive the following default insurance cover when joining:

Death: This cover provides a lump sum payment to your nominated beneficiaries in the event of your death.
Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD): This cover provides a lump sum payment to you in the event that you become permanently disabled.

You'll get a default level of cover for the above insurances, however you can apply to increase your level of cover at any time if you think it's the right choice for you. You can also opt out of all insurance cover all together.

You can also apply for Income Protection cover at an additional cost to you, which would provide regular payments if you hurt yourself and are unable to work for a period of time.

How to join UniSuper

You can join online by completing the application form on UniSuper's website. The application form should take you around 10-20 minutes to complete, and you'll need to provide the following bits of information:

Your full name, date of birth and contact information
Your Australian residential address
Your phone number and email address
Your tax file number (TFN)
Your chosen investment option (if you want to invest in something other than the Balanced option) and insurance cover
Details of your existing super fund if you'd like to consolidate your super

Once your application has been completed successfully, you'll receive your membership details by email. You can then give these to your employer so they can start paying your superannuation guarantee payments into your new fund.

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by

Alison Banney

Editor

Alison Banney is the money editorial manager at Finder. She covers all areas of personal finance, and her areas of expertise are superannuation, banking and saving. She has written about finance for 10 years, having previously worked at Westpac and written for several other major banks and super funds. See full bio

Alison's expertise

Alison has written 626 Finder guides across topics including:

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2 Responses

JohnAugust 16, 2017

Can you please advise:

1) how the new rules from the 1st July apply to the defined benefit fund and the 13% contribution combined with the 3% member contribution applies to a salary of $160,000 = $25,600 (if the member salary sacrifice their 3% this is all concessional; contributions.

2) how does UniSuper calculate the nominal contribution ?

ArnoldAugust 16, 2017

Hi John,

Thanks for your inquiry.

The new super rules represent the most significant changes for our members in several years and also impact UniSuper’s systems and processes.

Given the extent and significance of these changes, UniSuper has formed a Federal Budget Changes project, which will deliver the system and process changes required for compliance with the new legislation. It will also provide change support and training for impacted teams.

Read more about these changes through the UniSuper website.

To know more about how contributions are calculated, please check out UniSuper’s contribution planner on their website.

Please check out the calculators and tools of Unisuper to learn more.

Hope this information helped.

Cheers,
Arnold

UniSuper | Performance, features and fees

UniSuper is an industry super fund and one of Australia's largest super funds with more than 615,000 members. It offers a range of low-cost, high-performing investment options.

Finder Best Balanced Super Fund 2024 winner