Editor's Choice
Sequoia gives InterPrac sale a second shot
Sequoia is trying its hand at selling InterPrac Financial Planning again after its first sale attempt to Conquest Investment Management was left in the air.
American Century names APAC managing director
The new managing director will be based in Sydney and joins American Century from Dimensional Fund Advisors.
CSC tests waters on digital assets with Northern Trust
Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, the super fund for public servants and the defence force, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Northern Trust to advance digital investment infrastructure across institutional markets.
Vanguard adds floating rate ETF, managed fund to product suite
Vanguard has launched an Australian floating rate bond index strategy, available through both an ETF and a managed fund format.
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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.







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.