Editor's Choice
MLC AM targets EM strategy with fresh mandate
|MLC Asset Management has selected a global investment manager to leverage its 16-year-old emerging markets strategy.
Digital assets on the right path: Industry
|Digital asset providers have evaluated the October deadline and ASIC's consultation on the looming digital asset laws and determined that these developments mark a pivotal point on the sector's implementation journey.
NCAs unlikely to solve retirement advice gap: HUB24, CFS
|HUB24 and Colonial First State (CFS) say the New Class of Advisers (NCA) will unlikely solve the retirement advice gap Australians face, noting the focus needs to be on helping reduce friction for those with complex advice needs.
AustralianSuper rolls out new investment data platform
|AustralianSuper has implemented a new investment data platform designed to improve portfolio oversight, risk management and decision-making as the superannuation fund expands its global operations.
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
David Sharpe
CHAIRMAN
FINANCIAL ADVICE ASSOCIATION AUSTRALIA
FINANCIAL ADVICE ASSOCIATION AUSTRALIA
A family man, business owner, cricket fanatic and financial adviser, David Sharpe has many facets. One of his biggest legacies, as he steps down as chair of the Financial Advice Association Australia, is leaving the profession stronger than he found it.
The Financial Standard podcast Tune in each week as we discuss the latest developments in Australia's wealth management industry. |  |
I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison to line up shares options next to balanced MySuper defaults. Comparing ESG shares options to standard shares options would be a better comparison, and would show a different story (from a strictly financial perspective)
Focusing on balanced options within workplace super funds, in the year to 30 June 2018 ESG options out-performed regular balanced options on average by 0.7%, by 0.1% pa over three years and by 0.5% pa over five years. Sure it's marginal but that's the point. The message to us at Rainmaker is that well-run investment options be they ESG or regular perform similarly. There are two subsidiary points. First is the massive range that exists within the sector. Eg, over five years, the performance of regular balanced options ranged from 2% pa to 12% pa while the performance of ESG balanced options ranged from 7% pa to 12% pa. Second is that funds should not use ESG as an excuse for under-performance. Put another way, all of us should stop drinking our own Koolaid.