At UniSuper, we have a team of financial advisers who can help you invest your retirement savings.
Call UniSuper Advice on
1300 331 685
Choosing your investment options is an important decision and one you want to make wisely. It can have a big impact on your super balance and pension income.
How to choose an investment option
With 15 investment options to choose from, it’s important you:
- Understand asset classes and risk
- Review your investment options, then
- Make your choice.
Step 1: Understand asset classes and risk
When considering investment options, it’s critical to understand the asset classes that make up each option and the relationship between risk and return for each asset class.
Step 2: Review your investment options
With 15 investment options to choose from, you should review each option carefully and consider its objectives, asset mix, strategic asset allocation and performance.
You can choose from our menu of Pre-Mixed and Sector investment options which we've designed to suit a range of our members’ risk profiles and financial needs and goals.
If you create your own investment mix, you’re responsible for monitoring the allocation to each of your chosen options because the allocations will change in line with the performance of each of those options and how you invest future contributions.
To find out more about our investment options download our:
Step 3: Make your choice
There are two ways you can choose your investment options:
- Log in to MemberOnline to access your account
- Complete and return the Investment choice form
You don’t have to make a choice
Our investment choice range gives you the ability to choose how you want your super or pension invested. However, if you prefer not to make a choice, we’ll automatically invest your accumulation super or pension in our Balanced option, our default investment option.
Manage your investment options
It’s important to keep track and manage your investments. We provide a number of ways to monitor the progress of your investments and adjust your portfolio if your financial circumstances change.
Future contributions strategy
For accumulation account-based products, you can choose the way contributions to your account are invested from our range of investment options. This is known as your ‘future contributions strategy’.
You can change your future contributions strategy at any time for your future contributions, however, this won’t affect the way your existing account balance is invested.
You can select or change your future contributions strategy at any time by logging in to MemberOnline or by completing an Investment choice form.
We don’t charge you a fee if you change your future contributions strategy.
If we haven’t received a future contributions strategy from you when we receive a contribution then we’ll generally invest your contribution in our Balanced option, our default investment option. For more information, refer to the PDS relevant to your membership category.
If you were a member of the Fund on 21 April 2012, we would’ve set your future contributions strategy as your most recent investment strategy in which contributions have been allocated on 21 April 2012, until you tell us otherwise.
Rollover strategy
You can select or change your rollover strategy at any time by logging in to MemberOnline or by completing an Investment choice form.
For accumulation account-based products, you can choose the way rollovers to your account are invested. This is known as your ‘rollover strategy’.
From the date we process it, your rollover strategy will apply to all future rollovers to your account until you change your rollover strategy.
You can update your rollover strategy at any time. We don’t charge you a fee if you change your rollover strategy.
The investment options for your existing account balance and your future contributions strategy will remain the same.
If you don’t select a rollover strategy, we’ll invest all rollovers to your account as per your future contributions strategy.
REBALANCING YOUR PORTFOLIO
Depending on how you choose to invest your contributions for your super account, draw down your pension account or how your investments perform, you may need to check and possibly make adjustments to how your account balance is invested from time to time. This process is called ‘rebalancing’.
By checking your portfolio for such changes and rebalancing your portfolio (through switching your investments options, or redirecting your contributions or pension drawdowns), you can ensure your account remains invested according to your personal financial objectives.
For pension members, it’ll be important for you to review your drawdown order instructions from time to time because, as pensions are drawn down, this will change how your remaining account balance is spread across your chosen investment options and reduce the degree of diversification. Over time, the allocation of your remaining account balance between options may reflect a strategy that’s very different from your original intentions, so you should reconsider whether this is appropriate having regard to your financial needs and circumstances.
Investment switching
You can change the investment options for your existing account balance on a weekly basis. This is referred to as a ‘switch’.
A switch doesn’t change the way your future contributions are invested.
You also need to consider updating your future contributions strategy when you make a switch, unless you’re in a pension product.
Switching allows you to respond to significant changes in your personal financial circumstances by altering your investment choice to suit your changing financial needs. You’re able to switch your investment options for free once per financial year. We’ll charge you a $27 switching fee for any subsequent switches.
Before you switch
Occasionally, you might consider it appropriate to switch your investment choice in response to changing circumstances or investment time frames. However, before you decide to switch, ensure you’re doing it for the right reasons.
You should be aware that simply switching your investment options in an effort to chase higher short-term returns could mean you lose out over time. This is because investment markets are continually changing: by the time you react to one set of market conditions, the market may have already changed. Super is a long-term investment that’s well served by taking a long-term view.
You should also be aware of the risk and other implications associated with switching your investment options. Read and understand the UniSuper investment information contained in your UniSuper membership PDS in conjunction with our Investing for the future or How we invest your money booklets, depending on your membership category.
Before making a switch, you might want to speak to a qualified financial adviser.
Call UniSuper Advice on 1300 331 685.
How to make a switch or change your future contributions or rollover strategy
Online
Investment choice form
Return your completed form to:
UniSuper
Level 35, 385 Bourke Street
Melbourne Vic 3000
Fax: 03 9910 6141 (ensure you fax the entire form)
We can’t accept email or telephone instructions.
When your switch becomes effective
Online
- We must receive your online application by midnight (AEST) on a Tuesday to ensure your investment instruction takes effect from the Friday of the same week.
- If we receive an online application after midnight (AEST) on a Tuesday, your investment instruction will take effect on the Friday of the following week.
Investment choice form
- We must receive your completed form by 5.00pm (AEST) on a Tuesday to ensure your investment instruction takes effect from the Friday of the same week. (If the Tuesday is a public holiday, we must receive your form by 5.00pm (AEST) the previous business day).
- If we receive your completed form after 5.00pm (AEST) on a Tuesday, your investment instruction will take effect on the Friday of the following week.
Withdrawing a switch instruction
Once we receive a switching instruction, you can only withdraw it by sending us a notice in writing before the applicable cut-off date and time. We won’t process your written cancellation request if we receive it after our weekly cut-off time of 5.00pm (AEST) on a Tuesday.
Contributions after a switch has taken place
If you switch investments, this won’t affect any contributions you make or receive. If you also want your contributions invested in the same way as your account balance, you’ll need to update your future contributions strategy to reflect this.
Get advice
Talk to UniSuper Advice on 1300 331 685 to find out how they can help you.
MemberOnline
Stay in touch with your super with MemberOnline.
UniSuper Helpline 1800 331 685
UniSuper Advice 1300 331 685
If you’re a DBD member, then investment choice applies only to your accumulation component.