Global financial crisis an opportunity to educate clients about super

global-financial-crisis/super-funds/director/

6 March 2009
| By Benjamin Levy |

The global financial crisis is providing advisers with a great opportunity to educate their clients about the importance of an adequate super at retirement as clients become more interested in their long-term super performance, according to the director of policy and industry practice at the Association of Super Funds of Australia (ASFA), Melinda Howe.

Speaking at a breakfast session with Outlook Financial Solutions, a subsidiary of Snowball Group, Howe said that a lack of financial literacy is a barrier to Australians taking an active interest in their super, and that advice concerning super was vital for workers in the current environment.

There is a basic misconception that super is an investment, with people talking in terms of how their super performed, Howe said. They need to have a basic understanding that super is only a tax structure, and currently, most workers don’t understand the basic tax advantages that come with super.

Super also needs to become personalised for workers so they can feel empowered to take a more active role, Howe said.

Making retirement estimates available for workers every year, and making advice in super affordable and accessible to workers, would help workers become more engaged with their super, she added.

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

So we are now underwriting criminal scams?...

6 months ago

Glad to see the back of you Steve. You made financial more expensive, not more affordable as you claim, and presided ...

6 months 1 week ago

Completely agree Peter. The definition of 'significant change is circumstances relevant to the scope of the advice' is s...

8 months 1 week ago

Despite the financial adviser exam being rooted in ethics, two professional year advisers believe the lack of support and transparency from the regulator around the exam ...

3 weeks 1 day ago

Australian retirees could increase their projected annual incomes by as much as 51 per cent through comprehensive financial advice, according to a Vanguard study, but cos...

3 weeks ago

ASIC has banned two advisers from the same advice firm for giving clients inappropriate superannuation advice that was not in their best interests. ...

4 weeks 1 day ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND
Fund name
3y(%)pa
1
DomaCom DFS Mortgage
88.01 3 y p.a(%)
3