Podcasts

With high inflation, rising interest rates, and an election just a few weeks away, what will our investment team be looking out for over the coming month? UniSuper’s lead economist, investment manager David Colosimo, looks back at what happened in markets during April, and what’s on the cards for May.

Josh Frydenberg’s fourth Budget as Treasurer focussed heavily on cost of living support for Australians—but was there anything in it for your super? UniSuper’s Policy & Advocacy Manager, Benedict Davies, joins us to recap the Budget and break down the key announcements.

We’re committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, so we’re putting some of our biggest investments under the microscope to find out what decarbonisation means for them. As one of the world's largest mining companies, BHP produces much of the iron ore, copper and nickel we’ll need as we decarbonise. What targets has BHP set itself to achieve net zero 2050? What progress is it making, and how is it going to get there? We speak with Fiona Wild, BHP’s Vice President of Sustainability and Climate Change, to get the lowdown.

In the last 12 months, we’ve halved our exposure to fossil fuels, achieved carbon neutral status for our operations, and 40 of our top 50 Australian investments have set operational emissions targets aligned with the Paris Agreement. But what other progress have we made on our commitment to becoming a net-zero emissions fund by 2050? This episode, we delve into some of the key highlights from our latest climate risk report.

There are risks and rewards to be had as we move to decarbonise our economy. For example, in the 12 months to the end of January 2021, our Global Environmental Opportunities (GEO) investment option outperformed our 15 other investment options. But what kinds of companies is GEO investing in to drive this kind of performance? And the obvious question—can it last?

Some commentators are calling the 2020 Federal Budget the most important Budget in living memory. But how might the proposed measures affect your super? UniSuper’s Policy & Advocacy Manager, Benedict Davies, joins us to recap the Budget and break down the Government’s signature super announcements.

For many people, the Government’s temporary early access to super scheme will be a financial lifeline. But what could some of the impacts be, both short- and long-term, to your retirement savings? This episode, Charles Azzopardi from UniSuper Advice takes us through the scheme’s basics—eligibility, how to apply, and some of the things to seriously consider before dipping into your retirement nest-egg.

What would happen to your super if you died tomorrow? And who can you give it to? A sibling? A parent? A pet? This episode, no question is off limits for Charles Azzopardi from UniSuper Advice as we haul this often-avoided topic out of the too-hard basket.

Could the money you’re putting aside for retirement be exposed to modern slavery? And what are we doing to reduce the risk that companies we invest in are involved in it? We speak with Lou Capparelli and Sybil Dixon from our in-house investments team to find out.

We were recently crowned Super Fund of the Year by ratings agency Chant West. But who exactly is Chant West, and what does it actually mean to take out the top award? We went straight to the source to find out how funds are reviewed and compared, the criteria involved, how UniSuper stacks up against other funds and what resources you can use to compare for yourself.

The result of the 2019 Federal Election surprised many, defying opinion polls and media commentary and returning the Morrison Government to power. We jumped behind the mic with UniSuper’s Public Policy Manager, Benedict Davies, to sift through the coals of the election and ask ‘what now, for super?’

The 2019 Federal Budget focused more on tax cuts and other spending announcements ahead of an election, possibly paving the way for an imminent election announcement. This month, UniSuper’s Public Policy Manager, Benedict Davies, takes us through the tax cuts and some changes to super that were announced in advance, and helps us understand the context of a budget delivered right before an election.

This International Women’s Day, we’re joined by Julie Watkins, UniSuper’s Executive Manager of People. We chat about ‘work spouses’ and how they can make our work lives more meaningful, Julie shares some of her top career tips, and we ask the question—what’s UniSuper’s position on gender quotas?

Australians are using digital buy now, pay later services more than ever. But with no way of checking consumers can actually afford their purchases, is “lay-by 2.0” a good thing? Join us as we unpack these schemes’ perks and pitfalls with UniSuper Private Client Adviser, Charles Azzopardi.

Don’t think you need insurance? We tell the story of a member who wasn’t aware she had it—and then life dealt her an unexpected blow.

Are you afraid of dealing with money? If so, you’re not alone. This month, we unpack some common money fears and learn some tips and tricks to vanquish them with UniSuper Private Client Adviser Robert Cahill.

This month, we look at the ‘G’ in ESG—otherwise known as governance—and how we factor it in when making investment decisions. We speak with two of our investments specialists—Talieh Williams and Sybil Dixon—as we deep-dive into the rigorous screening process they do when deciding what to invest in. From board and executive remuneration through to company performance, companies we look to in invest in are scrutinised to ensure they’re advancing good governance practices.

Where would you go for information around how to invest your super? Well, according to some research we came across, it’s the people you work with that heavily influence your superannuation investment decisions. To unpack this in more detail, we chat with Dr Carly Moulang from Monash University and Prof. Paul Gerrans from the University of Western Australia.

In what’s widely tipped to be the last budget until the next election, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has announced a number of proposed changes to super. With measures to protect low account balances and lost super (including making insurance within super ‘opt-in’ for some people), lower and flatter taxes over time, and a raft of policies focusing on an ageing population, we break down some of the announcements with our resident policy guru, Benedict Davies. Read our full analysis of the budget at www.unisuper.com.au/budget.

What do Carrott, Acorns, SocietyOne and Ripple all have in common? They’re not just random words thrown together—they’re services changing the way we spend, save and grow our money. But what exactly are they? How do they work, and are there any risks in using them? To find out, we spoke with two of our experts about this new wave of finance disruptors. They tell us what it could mean for you—and the finance industry more generally—plus what you should know before diving in.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is our chance to celebrate women's achievements and successes. This month, Marta spoke to two of our executives, Anna Leibel and Lee Scales, on what this year’s topic of #pressforprogress means to them, the advancement of women in STEM, their own career experiences, and thoughts on what it’s like to be a woman in the modern workplace. Both women have achieved remarkable success in their careers and may not have necessarily taken the traditional path in getting there. Enjoy their stories.

How many people know the nitty gritty of your finances? Our guess is not that many, right? Not surprising, since talking about money can be considered impolite, garish or simply ‘not the done thing’. According to US research by the app Acorns, 68% of people would rather talk about their weight than their money. Why is that? And what can we do about it? We spoke with Claire Tacon, a financial counsellor with the National Debt Helpline, on the changes to societal attitudes about money and what makes people talk—or keep quiet—about it.

Why is responsible investing important? And what’s this thing called ‘environmental, social and governance’ (ESG)? This month, we speak with Talieh Williams and Sybil Dixon from our in-house investments team—doing a deep dive into the world of sustainability and investments, and learning how a super fund can also be a good corporate citizen.

Well, kind of. Legislation for the government’s first home and downsizer superannuation proposals were passed into law this week. As soon as we heard the news, we jumped into the studio to ask UniSuper’s Industry Policy Manager Benedict Davies—otherwise known as our resident political guru—to take us through the changes in more detail. The finer points of how the two schemes work will become clearer in the coming weeks and months. Keep an eye out on our website www.unisuper.com.au for more info.

Marta was riled recently by research suggesting young women are confident with short-term budgeting, but struggle with longer-term finances. So we called two UniSuper members who conducted the research—Professor James Arvanitakis and research assistant Lauren Stanley from the University of Western Sydney—to dig deeper into their findings.

Elder abuse. It mightn’t be the easiest of topics, but we’re starting to hear more about it. To help us understand what it is, why it occurs and some tips to safeguard yourself against it, this month we speak to Briony Dow—Associate Professor of Ageing at the University of Melbourne and Director of the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI).

It’s time to face the spending music. This month, we rope in UniSuper Advice's Alexia Jackson to see how Marta and James went with their spending and saving challenge. Things get real—who became more mindful about money? Who saved or spent more? We also talk retirement adequacy—aka, how much you think you’ll need in retirement—and give you some things to consider when planning for the financial future you want.

Do you consider yourself a spender or a saver? Ever felt guilty after walking out of a shop, or is retail therapy even a ‘thing’ for you? This month, we speak to Dr Shumi Akhtar from the University of Sydney on why it’s okay to indulge in some spending every now and then. We also answer some of your questions about recent changes to super and proposals in the May 2017 Budget. And finally, in the spirit of the new financial year, we’re setting ourselves a challenge.

This month we talk to UniSuper member Gregory Mowle from the University on Canberra on how financial stress impacts how we budget and the role of financial literacy plays in decision making.

It’s the question on many people’s lips in recent weeks—one that can divide dinner parties and even governments. This month, we explore the rules—and the recent discussions—around accessing your super early. We also take the issue on-campus and ask our members what they think.

Has there ever been in a time in your working or personal life where you've had to make a bold move? How did it feel? In this podcast, we ponder these questions and more with UniSuper board member Nicolette Rubinsztein for International Women's Day (IWD). We also hear the personal and career reflections of a number of female UniSuper members on this year’s IWD theme: ‘be bold for change’.

Can science help explain how we make financial decisions? UniSuper member and decision science researcher from the University of Melbourne Prof. Peter Bossaerts thinks so, and backs it up in this month's episode of 'Super Informed Radio'. We also chat to Trevor Schmid from UniSuper Advice on our 'Select advice' service, and how it'll soon be expanding into non-super wealth territory.

So you might have this idea of what retirement will look like in your head, but for many people what actually happens after retiring is totally different. This month we take it to the streets and see what people really think about their super. We then chat to UniSuper Assistant Product Manager Julia Maciver about what people can do to help make sure their retirement expectations become reality.

In our debut podcast, we talk to our CEO Kevin O'Sullivan about his passion for super, a day in his life, and how he got to Australia from the far distant lands of Canada. We also chat to Angela Riga from our contact centre on some of the topics members are calling us about and a few new online tools we've launched recently to help you understand your super. Visit us at www.unisuper.com.au

Has there ever been in a time in your working or personal life where you've had to make a bold move? How did it feel? In this podcast, we ponder these questions and more with UniSuper board member Nicolette Rubinsztein for International Women's Day (IWD). We also hear the personal and career reflections of a number of female UniSuper members on this year’s IWD theme: ‘be bold for change’.