Merger FAQs

The name Australian Retirement Trust is a straightforward statement about who we are, why we exist and what we do.

• Australian – we’ll be open to and inclusive of all Australians no matter where they live or what industry they work in.
• Retirement – we’ll guide our members to and through retirement to help ensure they’re secure, confident and protected.
• Trust – as a fund that works for members, not shareholders, our members can know that we’ll work in their best interests.

Having a QSuper account means it’s easy to take charge of your super. You have an experienced team ready to help you make informed, confident decisions, and you can still enjoy the level of services you’ve come to expect, including:

• QSuper Member Online
• QSuper app
• Our in-house contact centre
• Advice about your super
• Seminars and podcasts

QSuper account holders are now members of Australian Retirement Trust, a fund that works for members, not shareholders. If you have a QSuper account it’s important to know that there are no changes to your:

• Investments
• Insurance
• Account details (including any beneficiaries and authorities)
• Pension payment amount and frequency (if applicable)
• Defined Benefit entitlements (if applicable)

There are also no impacts to current insurance claims or members on graduated return to work programs.

For more details on what the merger means for you, see our Important Information booklet January 2022.

We can leverage our size and scale to seek out investments to protect and grow our members’ superannuation savings, while striving to return profits to them as lower fees and better services.

As part of this commitment, we expect to reduce administration fees from 1 July 2022 on many accounts.

The administration fees members pay from their QSuper Accumulation account(s) and Income account(s), and those that are deducted from the Lifetime Pension pool, are proposed be reduced from 0.16% to 0.15% per annum from 1 July 2022. These fee changes will not impact the amount of administration fees paid from Australian Retirement Trust’s reserves.

This decision to reduce fees is subject to confirmation by the trustee of Australian Retirement Trust. We’ll update our members once this decision has been made.

In the short term, as we are moving assets, investment transaction costs will be incurred that will be reflected in the unit price for some investment options, as outlined in the Important Information booklet January 2022.

No. There is no change in entitlements for Defined Benefit members. There is no change to the benefit design for existing defined benefit members of the QSuper Fund or the manner in which the defined benefit assets are invested by the Trustee of Australian Retirement Trust. This entitlement will continue to be protected by legislation.

There will be no changes to your pension payment amount and frequency as a result of the merger. Your payment arrangements and preferences will continue as they currently are.

There is no change to our advice services. Eligible members will continue to be able to access advice from QInvest about their QSuper account within Australian Retirement Trust at no additional cost.¹

If you had both QSuper and Sunsuper accounts when we merged, you will still have separate accounts. This aims to make sure you do not lose any benefits you had with either fund (like insurance).

We’ll be contacting members with multiple accounts to let them know their options. In the meantime, you can access more information on our website.

Also read our FAQs for duplicate members for more information.

No. Death benefit nominations and third-party authorities will continue to only apply to the account they applied to prior to the merger and won’t be carried across to other accounts. You can update your death benefit nomination or third-party authority on your QSuper account by completing the relevant form found on our website.

There will be no change to your eligibility for the Retirement Bonus as a result of the merger. You can estimate your Retirement Bonus in Member Online.

While your eligibility for the Retirement Bonus won’t change as a result of the merger, it is important to note that if, after the merger, you move your super to an Australian Retirement Trust Super Savings account, any estimated Retirement Bonus you may have been eligible for won’t be transferred.

Yes, Australian Retirement Trust is a profit-for-members fund. We are a fund that works for members, not shareholders. Members’ best interests are a top priority for us and we are committed to returning profits to them as lower administration fees and better services.

You can access QSuper products and services if you are:

• Existing QSuper account holders
• Employees of the Queensland Government
• Employees of existing QSuper default employers
• Spouses and children (who join while under age 25) of QSuper account holders.

A spouse includes someone the member is legally married to or in a de facto relationship with (including same sex partners).

A child includes adopted children, step-children, and the children of the member’s spouse.

There is an exception: The above conditions do not apply to the QSuper Lifetime Pension. You can start a Lifetime Pension even if you don’t meet any of these conditions (if you are otherwise eligible).

All Australians are invited to apply for an Australian Retirement Trust Super Savings account at australianretirementtrust.com.au

If you’ve applied to join QSuper directly (not through the Queensland Government or a QSuper default employer), and have not yet activated your account, you will need to do so within 12 months of your application. To activate your account, you will need to put money in it. You can do this by consolidating your super or making a voluntary contribution.

QSuper’s phone numbers, Member Centre locations, postal, email, and web addresses have not changed.

The only change is to our registered office address (which will become 30 Little Cribb Street, Milton QLD 4064), and the addition of a web address for Australian Retirement Trust (australianretirementtrust.com.au).