Editor's Choice
Pengana takes WAM feud over PIA to Takeovers Panel
Pengana Capital Group is again attempting to thwart the Wilson Asset Management-led board's share buyback and increased ownership in the Pengana International Equities LIC (PIA), hoping the Takeovers Panel will intervene.
ASFA welcomes Rest executive to C-suite role
ASFA has named a new C-suite appointment, set to join on September 21 from Rest to strengthen its policy implementation initiative.
WT Financial takes majority stake in TNT Advisor
WT Financial has acquired a 70% stake in paraplanning provider, TNT Advisor Solutions (TNT), for $2.4 million.
State Super announces new board appointment
State Super, the SAS Trustee Corporation, has named a new member of its board, saying the appointment will add to the trustee's governance structure.
Videos
Brought to you by ![]()
Further Reading
Products
Expert Feed
When geopolitics becomes a portfolio risk
Geopolitics is back - again - and Australian investors can no longer treat it as distant background noise.
Does association membership still matter?
With all the changes the advice sector has experienced in recent years, such as regulatory reform and increased education and professional standards ...
Digital assets and where they stand in 2026
So far in 2026 digital assets have captured the headlines largely for the wrong reasons, but that doesn't tell the full story.
Rethinking default design in a changing market environment
The evolution underway in the US DC system highlights the value of periodically reassessing default design assumptions.
Featured Profile
Liza McDonald
HEAD OF RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT
AWARE SUPER
AWARE SUPER
Liza McDonald would have you believe her path from a legal secretary to the head of responsible investment at Aware Super was a matter of good fortune. Her career says otherwise. Riddhima Talwani writes.
The Financial Standard podcast Tune in each week as we discuss the latest developments in Australia's wealth management industry. |  |
Whilst it might appear that banks are spending a 'fraction' of their budgets on superannuation advertising, they are able to leverage their existing brand advertising - and the research shows a sizeable spend for banks advertising generally. Banks also spend a lot on distribution through their branches, where they have targets to up sell other products including superannuation as well as referrals to their financial planners. How much of this process is allocated towards the superannuation spend, I wonder?
My comment is not a dig at how banks do business but I don't believe a comparison can be made that simply to the spend by industry funds.
It's common knowledge that funds lose members to the well known retail brands and their associated financial planning networks. Industry funds are still relatively young in the market and they need to be able to develop their brand, awareness and distribution strategies like any other business.
The scale defence looks a little pie in the sky when you consider Australian Super is about to increase insurance premiums by up to 75%.
Why does no one ask how the trustees/directors of industry super funds benefit from having more funds under advice and more members.
It would be pretty clear that these funds are not run only to profit members when their remuneration packages are exposed.