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THE CONEXUS INSTITUTE

The Conexus Institute was established as an independent think tank focused on improving retirement outcomes for Australian consumers. The Conexus Institute applies a “research-for-impact” model to produce high quality, often collaborative, research which is used to assist industry, regulators and policymakers.

Recent releases

Recent Thinking

Scope to improve access to account-based pensions for low balance retirees

We estimate that 50,000 Australians who are retiring over the next year may not be able to access an ABP because they do not meet minimum application requirements of their superannuation fund.
19 September 2024

The name of the YFYS game must be members’ best interests

Given every MySuper option passed the latest Your Future Your Super performance test, is the test effective and can it work more in members’ interests?
30 August 2024

YFYS debate reignited with latest performance test results

The latest round of Your Future Your Super performance test results have reignited debate about the test design and to what superannuation products the test should be applied to.
30 August 2024

Balanced, Growth, Defensive: What’s in a name?

An update on current state of product labelling and asset categorisation identifies lack of consistency amongst funds and researchers.
29 August 2024

World-class retirement system won’t happen by accident

The national effort to have superannuation funds do more to assist members transition to retirement has made progress over the past 12 months, but key policy and commercial challenges remain.
16 August 2024

Retirement Conference 2024: Review & Reflections

Review of and reflections on Retirement Conference, by David Bell and Geoff Warren. Key theme: momentum building, but there is a long way to go.
14 August 2024

A licensing regime can get super funds moving on retirement

Given large dispersion amongst funds in progressing their retirement income strategies, establishing a retirement licensing regime would help get the super industry progressing in the right direction.
31 July 2024

License to thrill members with retirement income solutions

A retirement licensing regime would help ensure that the strategies that do come to market are up to standard and delivered by funds that are committed to serving their retirees.
19 July 2024

Retirement products ‘need licence regime’

Jeremy Cooper argues that a lack of clear guidance by regulators is discouraging some super funds from offering retirement-orientated products at a time when an increasing number of people are retiring.
18 July 2024

Industry demographics create a super fund challenge for the ages

The large dispersion across funds along these dimensions creates fascinating challenges for funds, service providers, policymakers and regulators.
11 July 2024

‘Astonishing and highly concerning’: Funds still lag on RIC response

Response to recent survey undertaken by APRA and ASIC on development of retirement income strategies reveals funds need to do better on meeting their obligations.
2 July 2024

Reflections on Fiduciary Investors Symposium, Toronto

Reflections on the key themes of the Fiduciary Investors Symposium held at the University of Toronto including AI and its applications, and the importance of governance for a strong pension model.
14 June 2024

Why super’s return machine will need to shift gears

As the first generation of compulsory superannuants reaches the end of the accumulation phase the investment teams that have helped get them there will need to shift gears and integrate into a broader retirement function.
14 June 2024

Hubris, risk and ever-evolving business models

Reflections from Investment Magazine Fiduciary Investors Symposium, penned by David Bell and Geoff Warren: hubris, risk, YFYS an ever-present, and evolving business models.
23 May 2024

Super fund boards need attention to meet retirement challenges

With retirement a huge challenge for super funds, it is interesting to consider how well funds have structured their organisational leadership and governance to meet the challenge.
8 May 2024

Retirement investing is for the people, not just the portfolio

Stepping out of the return-based objectives in accumulation, super funds have found themselves grappling with a different beast when investing for retirement.
7 May 2024

YFYS review creates ‘red pill or blue pill’ moment for industry

The concept of a single-metric, backwards-looking performance test implemented retrospectively is deeply flawed, and the current Treasury review is an opportunity to design a better performance test with better outcomes for members.
1 May 2024

Size and flow dispersion motivates fund-specific investment models in Oz

Recent research by The Conexus Institute identifies significant dispersion in the operating environment for Australia’s superannuation funds. This impacts aspects of fund investment models including internalisation, private assets and offshore investment teams.
30 April 2024

Australia pensions special: Pot for life – a model for the UK?

Australia’s policy of stapling workers to their first workplace pension scheme for life bears many of the characteristics of the lifetime model floated by the UK government. The Australian market is evolving and this impacts the role of the employer.
26 April 2024

Super funds and experts at odds over heavily gamed YFYS performance test

A growing number of funds have warmed to the status quo after tweaking their strategic asset allocation to make sure they don't fail. However, a number of academics and researchers argue that the current test is not in members' best interests.
20 April 2024

Research and submissions

Pathway to Better Retirement Outcomes

This will be an active area of research and advocacy for The Conexus Institute. Our work program will likely entail a range of research projects.

Your Future, Your Super

A review of the YFYS performance test, identifying that the performance test will, in many cases, be ineffective at identifying poor performing funds, while creating a range of undesirable outcomes.

UNSW Business School’s Sandbox Program

UNSW’s Business School’s Sandbox Program aims to introduce students to industry projects as part of their coursework program.

Celebrating our collaborators

Ian Fryer

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Debbie Alliston

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Kirby Rappell

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Tim Jenkins

Early access to super

Scott Tully

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Super Consumers Australia

Early access to super

Luke Zhou

Retirement income review submission

Tim Macready

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Estelle Liu

Early access to super

Xavier O’Halloran

Early access to super

Actuaries Institute

Early access to super

Carol Lee

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Annabelle Tian

Retirement income review submission

Anna Shelley

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Eleanor Barz

Early access to super

Reece Zachariah

Exploring portfolios with illiquid assets

Kevin Liu

UNSW Sandbox Program 2020/2021

Yenni Tim

UNSW Sandbox Program 2020

Estelle Liu

UNSW Sandbox Program 2020

Xavier O’Halloran

UNSW Sandbox Program 2020/2021

Matthias Oldham

UNSW Sandbox Program 2020/2021

Nick Callil

Your Future, Your Super performance test

Tim Unger

Your Future, Your Super performance test

Emily Barlow

Your Future, Your Super performance test

Clayton Sills

Your Future, Your Super performance test

Kim Bowater

Your Future, Your Super performance test

David Carruthers

Your Future, Your Super performance test

Matthew Griffith

Your Future, Your Super performance test

Andrew Boal

Your Future, Your Super performance test

Stefano Cavaglia

Exploring portfolios with illiquid assets

Leigh Gavin

Growth / defensive asset categorisation

Lisa Carroll

Exploring portfolios with illiquid assets

Sandi Orleow

Exploring portfolios with illiquid assets

Pamela Hanrahan

Retirement transition support that is safe by design

Geoff Warren

Ensuring all retirees find a suitable retirement solution

Interested in collaborating?

Current projects

Illiquidity – governance, risk and portfolio management resources

Developing a suite of tools, guides and case studies to assist super funds achieve best practice

A better retirement for all Australians

We are currently undertaking early-stage research to develop our vision of a great retirement system

Exploring Big Ideas

Episode 1: Jane Hume

Ongoing micro-reforms, decumulation solutions, fintech and an end to ideological wars are highlights among the ideas Senator Jane Hume has for improving Australia’s retirement system, many of which can be described as micro-reforms which may disappoint those looking for a single silver bullet big idea.

Episode 2: Jeremy Cooper

The man who has shaped the architecture of Australia’s accumulation system sees great opportunity for further system improvement, challenges industry to illustrate the value of engagement, and questions whether tax incentives on super contributions should remain as strong if consumers are not drawing down on their capital in the retirement phase.

Episode 3: Marisa Hall

Pension funds need a generation of investment professionals that are willing to be brave and less conservative than their predecessors if they are to move to the systems level perspectives on investment that is required for better returns and societal outcomes, according to the co-head of the Thinking Ahead Institute, Marisa Hall.

Episode 4: David Knox

Middle income earners are most disadvantaged by the superannuation system, Mercer’s senior partner David Knox highlighted during an interview in which he pitched the concept of a universal pension for all Australians regardless of how wealthy they are or how much they earn.

Episode 5: The Pathway to Retirement Solutions

Expert panellists Deborah Ralston, Pamela Hanrahan and Geoff Warren discussed the current changes to the superannuation industry with The Conexus Institute’s Executive Director, David Bell, in this special Exploring Big Ideas episode: The Pathway to Retirement Solutions.

Webinar recording:
Your Future Your Super: One year on

The first anniversary of the contentious Your Future, Your Super reforms provided the perfect opportunity for reflection.

This webinar took place on 23 June 2022.

 

 

Webinar recording:
The Super Guarantee: 30-Year anniversary

The panel reflected on the origins and benefits of the SG, and considered the challenges ahead for superannuation and retirement income policy.

This webinar took place on 30 June 2022.

Meet our team

Colin Tate AM

Founder and adviser

Jeremy Cooper

Chair of advisory board

David Bell

Executive director

Hazel Bateman

Marisa Broome

Aleks Vickovich

Ian Fryer

Pamela Hanrahan

David Knox

Xavier O'Halloran

Kevin O'Sullivan

Deborah Ralston

Nicolette Rubinsztein AM

Geoff Warren