The proposal to insert the word ‘financial’ into ‘best interests duty’ as part of the Your Future, Your Super bill is Parliamentary overreach and will have upfront negative financial implications for funds and beneficiaries, according to Market Forces.
In its submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee, the advocacy group said it strongly recommended to reject the proposal. It said including the word ‘financial’ was unnecessary as the existing duty required no further legislative clarification or amendment.
It said amending the duty:
“The new duty will create legal uncertainty and is not consistent with limiting the financial burden on superannuation fund members. At the outset trustees will be obliged to incur costs for advice and compliance. For example, a suite of internal processes – those based upon the existing duty and case law that interprets it – are likely to require amendment,” the submission said.
Australia’s second-largest super fund has confirmed it is expanding its presence in the UK following significant investment in the region.
A member of the super fund has approached ASIC to investigate potentially misleading or deceptive representations by UniSuper regarding the holdings of its sustainable portfolios.
The median growth fund delivered 1.9 per cent in March, adding to the “stunning” rally that has seen super funds gain 11 per cent since November.
Vanguard has affirmed its support for the current super performance test, emphasising the importance of keeping the process straightforward.
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