Australian funds should embrace mandatory transparency
Australian superannuation funds should not the experience in the US and not be resistant to greater transparency around investment performance and cost, according to Vanguard chairman, Bill McNabb.
Addressing the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), McNabb noted the attitude to such transparency but said the requirements flowing from the Dodd Frank in the US had ultimately proved to be beneficial.
He said that the US investment industry had originally resisted the transparency requirements with respect to cost and performance but this had proved to be a mistake.
McNabb said that while the requirement had originally be voluntary, it had elicited little support from firms in the US and was not mandatory.
“We fought the idea, but we should not have fought it,” he said.
“Transparency around cost and performance has proved a driver to competition and beneficial change,” McNabb said.
Recommended for you
Bell Financial Group has appointed a chief investment officer who joins the firm from Clime Investment Management.
Private markets funds with “unattractive practices” could find themselves facing enforcement activity with ASIC chair Joe Longo stating he cannot rule it out in the future.
Despite ASIC concerns about private credit funds being accessed via the advised channel, there are questions regarding how high its usage actually is among financial advisers.
Challenger has looked to the superannuation industry for its appointment of a group chief investment officer, a newly-created role.
