What are superannuation companies?
Superannuation companies, more commonly referred to as superannuation funds, provide products to help invest and grow your retirement savings while you're still working. According to Finder research, there are 23.2 million superannuation accounts in Australia from a total of 145 fund providers.
Superannuation is compulsory for Australian employees, and you need a dedicated superannuation fund to put the money into (it can't just go into your standard bank account). Super companies offer these dedicated products. As of 2024, the money held in Australian super funds totalled $3.9 trillion, according to the ASFA (Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia).1
What are industry super funds?
Industry super funds are not-for-profit funds that were originally reserved for workers in a particular industry, but are now open to all Australians. These funds are owned and run by members, with profits going back into the fund to benefit members. They usually only exist to provide superannuation products.
What are retail super funds?
Retail funds are often owned by a bank, insurance provider or another type of large financial institution. As well as superannuation products, they often offer other financial products and services such as bank accounts, mortgage products and insurance. Profits are distributed among shareholders as well as put back into the fund.
What is a self managed super fund?
A self managed super fund (SMSF) is an option for people who want to manage their superannuation themselves, instead of putting it into a superannuation fund. You can create your own SMSF with up to 4 members (usually family members) and invest your retirement savings how you want to. However, SMSFs are expensive, tricky and time-consuming to run.
List of super companies and super fund products
List of superannuation funds
Use our comparison table to compare super funds based on performance, fees and insurance options.
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
Frequently asked questions
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Ask a question
Who is the best performing Super fund At the moment?
Hi Andrew, this would depend on a whole range of factors such as which investment option you’re looking at and which investment time period. You can see the latest performance figures for funds in our comparison table: https://www.finder.com.au/super-funds
My super was recently transferred to Mercer.
First I knew about it was when my employer was unable to make a deposit into it.
I’m concerned as this is not a company I chose to be with, but have no idea who would be better.
I’m still five yrs from retirement and want my money in safe hands.
Hi Sally, we’re a comparison site and aren’t able to offer you any personal financial advice. We’d strongly suggest speaking with a financial advisor or accountant who can offer you personal advice on your super and retirement planning.
What is the ranking of Telstra super in general ?
Hi Horang,
Please note that Telstra is not an open fund, meaning there are eligibility criteria you need to meet in order to join. To join this fund, you must be a Telstra employee or have a family member who is.
In terms of how this fund performs, you can see its performance returns here.
You can compare these with other funds in the market to get an idea of how this fund has performed in the past (but keep in mind past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future performance). You should also compare the fees of this fund too against others.
You can compare other super funds that are open for all Australians to join here.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Alison
can you divide your super accross all super funds without having to pay fees for low income earners?
Hi Kristina,
Thanks for getting in touch! You can divide your super across as many funds as you want to, but you will need to pay fees on each fund. This is why it’s generally advised to only have the one super fund.
Hope this was helpful. Should you need any clarifications, feel free to message back and we can advise you accordingly.
Best,
Nikki
Can I get death cover after 70 if I am still working?
Hi Ron,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
Some insurers still provide funeral insurance for seniors after 70 and still working. You may also consider comparing death insurance and get a personalised quote by entering your details under our comparison table.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni