How our investments are responding to change
23 June 2022
5
min read
While our risk-balanced investment philosophy remains the same, there are some changes to some of our investment options from 1 July 2022, including carbon reduction strategies under the Australian Retirement Trust Climate Change Policy.
Australian Retirement Trust is the super fund formed through the merger of QSuper and Sunsuper.
We’re one of Australia’s largest super funds and proud to take care of over $200 billion in retirement savings for more than two million members.
We’re committed to returning profits to members as lower fees and better services, as the less you pay in fees on your super account the more you could have to live your best retirement.
Carbon reduction strategies
Under the Australian Retirement Trust Climate Change Policy, we have adopted a target to achieve a net zero emissions investment portfolio by 2050. This is in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C.
For listed shares, we consider investing in lower carbon-intensity holdings, reducing exposure to companies with material climate risk exposure, and adopting other climate-aware tools for externally managed strategies.
Our investments are made within a framework that integrates environmental, social and governance factors into our investment process at all levels.
Find out more about how we consider climate change when investing.
Find out more
What else is changing
While our risk-balanced investment philosophy remains the same, there are some small changes to asset allocations in some investment options from 1 July 2022.
We are also changing the Standard Risk Measure (SRM) for QSuper Lifetime group Sustain 2.
You can easily check the investment options you currently have in Member Online.
You can also visit our website to find out more about QSuper investment options as well as investment risk and SRMs.
Asset allocations
Since September 2021, small changes have been made to the asset allocation process of the Balanced, Moderate and Aggressive diversified investment options.
There are now minor differences in the asset allocations for these diversified options between the QSuper Accumulation account and QSuper Income account options.
These changes do not reflect a change in investment approach. When investing for both Accumulation and Income account holders in all options, we continue to pursue our risk-balanced investment philosophy.
The changes reflect external influences on each of the options, such as tax treatment, along with subtle differences that aim to match assets and asset classes to the accumulation and income phases of your retirement journey.
The only diversified option with no asset allocation differences is the QSuper Socially Responsible option.
There are currently no differences in asset allocations between Accumulation and Income accounts for the single-sector options of Cash, Diversified Bonds, International Shares or Australian Shares.
Asset allocation ranges
Effective from 1 July 2022, there are changes to the asset allocation ranges for some investment options.
Changes to the asset allocation ranges is across all QSuper Lifetime groups, as well as the diversified options of Moderate, Balanced, Aggressive and Socially Responsible. The changes are to the equities and cash asset class ranges, seeking to positively contribute to returns for members invested in those options.
There is no change to the asset allocation ranges for the single-sector options of Cash, Diversified Bonds, International Shares and Australian Shares.
Change to the Standard Risk Measure for Sustain 2
All investments come with some risk. The QSuper investment options have a Standard Risk Measure (SRM) rating, which tells you the number of expected negative annual returns over any 20-year period.
The SRM can help you compare your investment options, but it’s important to remember that the SRM is only one consideration when making an investment decision.
We review the SRM ratings at least once a year. From 1 July 2022, the SRM for QSuper Lifetime Sustain 2 changed from ‘Low’ to ‘Low to Medium’.