Australia Archives - Pension Policy International

01SepSeptember 1, 2026

Australia. Age pension dependence down

Australians are relying less on the age pension to fund their retirement as their super balances grow, according to Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) research. The study revealed about 56 per cent of people aged 65 or over now receive a full or part age pension compared to 70 per cent in 2012. Average superannuation balances for people aged over 15 were $202,644 for men and $164,206 for women in 2023/24, up from $192,119 and $154,641 in the previous...

September 1, 2026

NewsAging, Australia

19AugAugust 19, 2026

Australia. Superannuation at the centre of attention

Suddenly, superannuation has become a hot-button issue in Australia. Germany was the first modern state to introduce old-age pensions. That was in 1889 when Bismarck required all employees to contribute to funding their retirement incomes. Australia and Britain introduced means-tested but non-contributory pensions in 1908. Britain’s was shifted to a (partial) contributory basis in 1925. In principle, Australia began moving to a fully contributory scheme in 1992. Virtually all but the poorest of countries now have some form of old age pension. Most...

August 19, 2026

NewsAustralia, System sustainability

19MayMay 19, 2026

Australia. Lessons from OECD pension reforms that could foreshadow local changes

OECD reforms spotlight rising retirement ages, contribution adequacy, and decumulation challenges, shaping Australia’s superannuation policy agenda and future debates. Australia’s superannuation system regularly earns international praise for its scale and sustainability, but a survey of recent pension reforms across OECD countries suggests the policy agenda is far from settled. From rising retirement ages to mandated decumulation products, the changes taking place in peer economies offer a preview of debates likely to intensify locally. Rising retirement ages are the norm The most consistent...

May 19, 2026

NewsAustralia, Pension Reform

29AprApril 29, 2026

Australia. Solving the $326 billion ‘stranded’ pension asset problem

More than 1.5 million Australians aged 65 and over have left money sitting in superannuation accumulation phase, paying tax at 15 per cent on investment earnings when they could be in the tax-free pension phase and receiving higher retirement income. A dialogue paper published by the Actuaries Institute, It’s Time: Here’s How to Turn Superannuation into a Retirement Income System, puts the aggregate value of those “stranded” balances at $326 billion. the additional tax cost to those individuals exceeds $2 billion...

April 29, 2026

NewsAustralia, Investment, Pension Management, Taxation

22AprApril 22, 2026

Australia. More than 3 million Australians over 65 to pay more for private health

More than 3 million Australians aged over 65 will have to pay hundreds of dollars more for their private health insurance per year, in a move the federal government argues will re-establish fairness between generations. In a major pre-budget speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Health Minister Mark Butler announced sweeping changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care. As part of this, he revealed older Australians would no longer be given special treatment and would now have to...

April 22, 2026

NewsAging, Australia, Healthcare

15AprApril 15, 2026

Major Australian pension fund mulls crypto offerings amid growing demand

Hostplus, Australia's third-largest pension fund by member count, is reportedly considering offering cryptocurrencies as an investment option, citing interest from its members in the asset class. “There’s certainly a demand from some of our members who write in and say, ‘Why can’t I have access to cryptocurrency?’” Sam Sicilia, the fund's chief investment officer, told Bloomberg on Monday. Investment offerings in crypto could be available as soon as next financial year, he said, with Bitcoin and other digital assets offered through its...

April 15, 2026

NewsAustralia, Cryptocurrencies, Pension Management

31MarMarch 31, 2026

Australian $240 billion pension fund snaps up Japanese, European stocks and UK bonds

Australia's No.2 pension fund has increased its global equities, Australian and British bond investments, some of the world's most sold-off ‌asset classes, in the past month to take advantage of financial market volatility created by the Iran war. The Australian Retirement Trust, which has A$350 billion ($240.42 billion) in funds under management, is carrying out more direct market trading than usual, according to Jimmy Louca, a senior portfolio manager at the fund. ART has a dynamic asset allocation strategy in which...

March 31, 2026

NewsAustralia, Investment, Pension Management

06MarMarch 6, 2026

Canada’s largest pension funds joining Australian peers to increase investments in both countries

Canada’s largest pension funds are joining an initiative that aims to boost pension investments between Canada and Australia. The Canadian-Australian Pension Funds Investment Initiative, announced Wednesday during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Australia, will create a framework for pension funds in the two countries to discuss policy barriers and associated solutions to improve the current business environment. The agreement includes participation from the Alberta Investment Management Corp., the British Columbia Investment Management Corp., the Caisse de dépôt et placement du...

March 6, 2026

NewsAustralia, Canada, Investment

16FebFebruary 16, 2026

What Trump’s Australian-style retirement program would look like in the US

Although pensions have largely disappeared thanks to tax code changes in the 1970s, today individuals have more options than ever to save for retirement with a variety of IRA and employer-sponsored plans to choose from. But Americans may soon have another account option for to retirement savings. In early December, CNN reported that President Donald Trump's administration is considering implementing an Australian-style retirement program in the U.S. Put simply, an Australian-type retirement program comprises an employer-sponsored retirement plan, which in Australia is commonly known...

February 16, 2026

NewsAustralia, Pension Reform, US

04FebFebruary 4, 2026

Australia warns $3.2 trillion pension fund industry to lift systems investment

Australia's corporate regulator has warned the nation's A$4.5 trillion ($3.16 trillion) pension fund industry it needs to invest more in systems and technology to better prepare for the future and avoid becoming troubled like stock market operator ASX (ASX.AX), opens new tab. Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Commissioner Simone Constant said the pension fund industry, known locally as superannuation, was on track to be worth A$6 trillion by 2030. At that size, she said, it would be larger than Australia's banking...

February 4, 2026

NewsAustralia, Pension Management, Technology

September 2026

Australia. Age pension dependence down

August 2026

Australia. Superannuation at the centre of attention

May 2026

Australia. Lessons from OECD pension reforms that could foreshadow local changes

April 2026

Australia. Solving the $326 billion ‘stranded’ pension asset problem

Australia. More than 3 million Australians over 65 to pay more for private health

Major Australian pension fund mulls crypto offerings amid growing demand

March 2026

Australian $240 billion pension fund snaps up Japanese, European stocks and UK bonds

Canada’s largest pension funds joining Australian peers to increase investments in both countries

February 2026

What Trump’s Australian-style retirement program would look like in the US

Australia warns $3.2 trillion pension fund industry to lift systems investment