Asking here, as, let’s face it, this would make up a large portion of those who subscribed here.

I’m ex APS and my super offering when I joined was public sector superannuation accumulation plan (PSSap). - edited due to doing the unsavoury assumption that people know the APS-centric initialism, but figured only pubes would answer

The returns are shit, and the fees are high. I don’t have consistent income these days but I do contribute to my super as much as I can. But it’s pretty dispiriting to see what I do add getting chewed up by fees.

Any recommendations for a move? Bonus points for ethical investments.

I’ve tried my hand at researching better options but my brain and numbers aren’t friends and I end up getting frustrated and not getting very far.

Should add, I’m in my late 30s so retirement is a fair way off.

I welcome any recommendations or must-avoids.

  • Gorgritch_Umie_Killa
    2·
    4 months ago

    Unless you have been told a specific private super fund has a history of higher returns than industry supers, go with industry super funds, hostplus has a good track record. There are insurances you can choose to pat or not pay, but be aware and understand those.

    Theres a catch to ethical funds. Yes you have divested, but by no means will the finance investors of the world divest. This means ethical funds avoiding certain company’s stocks can actually make them cheaper to buy, while company profits remain the same, meaning those who do invest, maybe less scrupulous people, make higher returns than those who avoid. It also cuts your fund out of influencing the direction that company goes in, which may lead to less ethical actions than if you were in. If enough people divest, then you could impact a company’s borrowing capacity. So it is really a personal impact decision and maybe actually negatively impacts the E.C.G. direction of the market. That being said, specific investments into ECG company commitments can be influential.

    Seek financial advice, don’t sue me etc…

          • Gorgritch_Umie_Killa
            2·
            4 months ago

            Oh, haha right, i thought it was some meme i had no idea about.

            My bad I’s in a rush and wrote it wrong, its ESG, Environment, Social, Governance. A catch all term for broadly talking about ethical investments.