Being actively involved in how and where your super is invested, could make a real difference to your retirement savings over the long-term.

If you are considering going down this route, there are some factors to think about such as your retirement goals, how long you have until you retire and the amount of risk you’re comfortable taking on.

For instance, if you’re close to retiring, you may want to avoid putting your super somewhere that’s too risky. Riskier investments tend to experience more ups and downs so time may help to ride them out.

This article considers four examples of investment strategies for your super.

The importance of diversification

Before we discuss the various investment strategies, it’s important to highlight the significance of diversification. Like any type of investment, spreading your super across different types of investment options, can help to build a strong portfolio and manage risk.

Why?

Because if you were to invest all of your super into one asset class such as property, your investment may suffer a loss if the property market was to fall in value. However, if you spread your money across multiple assets, you may have a different result.

Investment strategy type 1: Growth

If you don’t think you’ll be accessing your super for at least 10 years or more, a growth strategy may work for you as a longer timeframe may help an investment portfolio withstand volatility while aiming for returns.

A growth strategy that follows a higher risk, higher return approach tends to have a larger focus on assets that are exposed to capital appreciation. That is, investing in assets which are expected to grow at a higher rate than the industry or overall market.

For instance, this may involve an investment of around 70-85 per cent in shares or property with the rest in fixed interest and cash-based investments.

Historically, over any 20-year period, a growth strategy has delivered better returns than more conservative portfolios which would mainly be invested in fixed interest and cash. However, over a short-term period, you may experience significant losses as a result of market volatility.

Another key benefit of a growth strategy is that by making greater returns on your investment, your savings are more likely to keep up with the rising cost of living. This is arguably important because over time inflation may reduce the value of your retirement savings, which could make it difficult to maintain your standard of living when you’re retired.
Investment strategies for your super

Investment strategy type 2: Balanced

Similar to a growth strategy, if you aren’t planning to access your super anytime soon, opting for a balanced investment portfolio may be another option.

This strategy is aimed at balancing risk and return so your portfolio has enough risk to provide reasonable returns, but not enough to cause significant losses.

A balanced strategy typically involves investing around 60-70 per cent in shares or property, with the rest in fixed interest and cash-based investments.

Investment strategy type 3: Conservative

You may be considering how you could protect your capital if you want to access your super within 3-5 years.

A safe or conservative strategy follows a lower risk, lower return approach so it’s really about preserving the value of your investment portfolio. While there may be less risk of losing money, a downside could be that your returns may not
keep up with inflation.

For example, this could involve investing around 20-30 per cent of your super in shares and property, with the rest in fixed interest and cash-based investments.

Investment strategy type 4: Ethical and sustainable

You may choose not to invest in certain companies based on ethical grounds. For example, taking a stance against investing in firearms. This approach is called ethical or socially responsible investing.

There is also sustainable investing which goes beyond incorporating just ethical and social factors. That is, it approaches investing from an environmental and governance lens too. Some super funds now offer this, so if these factors are important to you, speak to your super fund for more details.

If you’re a self managed super fund (SMSF) trustee, there are a range of sustainable managed funds which you can tap into.

Review your investment approach

You may want to review your current investment approach with your super fund or SMSF to consider how it aligns with your goals and risk comfort.

For example, if you are looking to take an active role by directly investing your super in shares, exchange traded funds and managed funds, there are super products and platforms which enable you to do this.

Alternatively, a SMSF is an option that enables you to have more control over how your super is invested with the added bonus of being able to access more investment options such as direct property and commodities. You also have the ability to borrow within your super fund for investment. There are a
number of administration requirements however, as well as legislative requirements to adhere to.

You may want to consider speaking to a financial expert when determining which super product may be best for you.

This article was prepared by BT, a part of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141, AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 233714. This information is current as at 22 May 2019.

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This article provides an overview or summary only and it should not be considered a comprehensive statement on any matter or relied upon as such. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and so you should consider its appropriateness, having regard to these factors before acting on it. This information may contain material provided by third parties derived from sources believed to be accurate at its issue date. While such material is published with necessary permission, no company in the Westpac Group accepts any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of, or endorses any such material. Except where contrary to law, we intend by this notice to exclude liability for this material. BT cannot give tax advice. Any tax considerations outlined in this article are general statements, based on an interpretation of the current tax law, and do not constitute tax advice. The tax implications of investing in property, shares or superannuation can impact individual situations differently and you should seek specific advice from a registered tax agent or registered tax (financial adviser).

Superannuation is a means of saving for retirement, which is, in part, compulsory. The government has placed restrictions on when you can access your investment held in superannuation. The Government has set caps on the amount of money that you can add to superannuation each year on both a concessional and non-concessional tax basis. There will be tax consequences if you breach these caps. For more detail, speak with a financial adviser or visit the ATO website.

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What are ethical investments?

Ethical investments provide exposure to companies with strong environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) structures and practices. The Responsible Investment Association of Australia estimates there is almost $1 trillion invested in ethical companies and strategies across the country, equating to 44 per cent of the entire $2.24 trillion managed by professional investors in Australia.

Depending on your risk appetite, there are a range of ways you can invest ethically. You can put capital into an actively or passively managed fund with a focus on ethical investments. Your super fund may also offer investment options that focus on ethical leadership and business practices.

How to pick stocks in ethical companies

The research and analysis process for buying stock in ethical companies is broadly no different from regular stock picking. Analysing the typical indicators of financial strength is essential, including earnings per share, the price-to-earnings ratio and dividend yield. You will, however, need to weigh up whether a company’s approach to ESG aligns with your beliefs around important issues. These issues are typically environmental, societal, and political.

How to get into ethical investing

To get into ethical investing, you may place some of your capital into a responsible investment fund which uses ESG and ethics criteria, along with financial performance, to determine which companies are invested into. It’s important to note that the screening criteria for responsible investing are different from those used in strict ethical funds. As a comparison, strict ethical funds screen out specific industries such as energy, mining, gambling, pornography and narcotics as a default. ESG investment funds differ by focusing on stakeholder engagement and shareholder activism to influence change in companies instead of simply divesting or eliminating the option of investing in particular organisations in the first instance.

Whether you put your money in a fund or decide to pick individual stocks to get started in ethical investing, you need to determine what you’ll look for in potential investments. You may look for companies that are carbon neutral, or those that have initiatives such as planting a certain number of trees each year. There are also more detailed criteria such as the company’s approach to manufacturing which you may assess in your research. You may also choose to invest in funds that are financial vehicles and loan money to, or invest in, ethical businesses.

Do your research to diversify your investments

Similar to diversifying your portfolio with a range of asset classes, you also need to do your research and thoroughly analyse any potential investments that will provide exposure to ethical companies. To ensure you balance risk effectively, speak to your financial adviser to assess the specific ethical investments that are suitable for your unique situation.

 To discuss your investment strategy speak with one of our LT financial advisors. 

Contact us

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If we look at previous incidents of viral outbreaks, such as SARS in 2003 and H1N1 (swine flu) in 2009, short-term corrections were within the range of 5% to 15%. These corrections were followed by strong rebounds. The consensus view is that global growth will be down in the first quarter of the year as a result of COVID-2019 with the key variable being how long the threat of the virus persists.

While history is a useful guide in this case, it must be said that the effect of this epidemic is likely to be greater given China’s dominant presence in the global economy, given the faster spread of the disease and the measures taken to combat it. The extended closure of Chinese industry, restrictions on people movement, disrupted supply chains, declines in key commodity prices, bans on Chinese travel and the flow-on effect to confidence will severely hamper growth in China and the countries and regions most heavily reliant on China.

While at the time of the SARS outbreak China accounted for around 9.0% of global output on a PPP basis, it now accounts for 19%, and this proportion is only likely to increase in coming years, according to the IMF. China accounts for 18% of global tourism spending (up from 4.0% in 2008) while overall tourism (domestic and global) spending accounts for more than 10.0% of Chinese GDP and has been contributing almost 1.5% to annual GDP growth. To place China’s emergence on the global stage into perspective, in 2003 there were 20 million Chinese overseas visits and in 2018, 150 million. The Chinese economy accounted for about 30% of global growth in 2019. So, a drop in Chinese GDP growth to 5.0% for the year, assuming the virus is contained within a short period, would detract 0.2–0.3% from global growth.

China now accounts for around 19% of global output

Source: IMF, Lonsec

From an Australian equities perspective, we are likely to see earnings outlook downgrades across a number of sectors (based on Lonsec equities research), at a time of elevated valuations and a sub-par growth outlook. While earnings across the Healthcare, Consumer Staples and Infrastructure sectors should be relatively immune to recent events, 2020 earnings estimates for the Resources (Energy, Iron Ore and Copper), Tourism/Travel and Consumer Discretionary sectors are likely to see significant one-off earnings revisions, capturing the impact of COVID-2019 outbreak and the recent bushfires across Australia. However, such downgrades are unlikely to impact the long-term investment thesis for most companies and should be regarded as short-term headwinds, reflecting a series of one-off unfortunate events.

While there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the COVID-2019 outbreak, research indicates that this event could pose a long “tail risk” for global markets should the outbreak get out of hand. In other words, it could go on for a while. These factors make it a challenging period for investors, where factors other than fundamentals are having a material impact on the trajectory of markets. In such an environment, balanced portfolio construction is critical to insulating your portfolio. The proof in balance portfolio construction has been reflected in the stellar returns from both domestic and international fixed income securities over the last 18 to 24 months.

If you feel concerned by the current situation we encourage you to talk with an advisor sooner rather than later.

Source Information: Lonsec Group

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If we look at previous incidents of viral outbreaks, such as SARS in 2003 and H1N1 (swine flu) in 2009, short-term corrections were within the range of 5% to 15%. These corrections were followed by strong rebounds. The consensus view is that global growth will be down in the first quarter of the year as a result of COVID-2019 with the key variable being how long the threat of the virus persists.

While history is a useful guide in this case, it must be said that the effect of this epidemic is likely to be greater given China’s dominant presence in the global economy, given the faster spread of the disease and the measures taken to combat it. The extended closure of Chinese industry, restrictions on people movement, disrupted supply chains, declines in key commodity prices, bans on Chinese travel and the flow-on effect to confidence will severely hamper growth in China and the countries and regions most heavily reliant on China.

While at the time of the SARS outbreak China accounted for around 9.0% of global output on a PPP basis, it now accounts for 19%, and this proportion is only likely to increase in coming years, according to the IMF. China accounts for 18% of global tourism spending (up from 4.0% in 2008) while overall tourism (domestic and global) spending accounts for more than 10.0% of Chinese GDP and has been contributing almost 1.5% to annual GDP growth. To place China’s emergence on the global stage into perspective, in 2003 there were 20 million Chinese overseas visits and in 2018, 150 million. The Chinese economy accounted for about 30% of global growth in 2019. So, a drop in Chinese GDP growth to 5.0% for the year, assuming the virus is contained within a short period, would detract 0.2–0.3% from global growth.

China now accounts for around 19% of global output

Source: IMF, Lonsec

From an Australian equities perspective, we are likely to see earnings outlook downgrades across a number of sectors (based on Lonsec equities research), at a time of elevated valuations and a sub-par growth outlook. While earnings across the Healthcare, Consumer Staples and Infrastructure sectors should be relatively immune to recent events, 2020 earnings estimates for the Resources (Energy, Iron Ore and Copper), Tourism/Travel and Consumer Discretionary sectors are likely to see significant one-off earnings revisions, capturing the impact of COVID-2019 outbreak and the recent bushfires across Australia. However, such downgrades are unlikely to impact the long-term investment thesis for most companies and should be regarded as short-term headwinds, reflecting a series of one-off unfortunate events.

While there is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the COVID-2019 outbreak, research indicates that this event could pose a long “tail risk” for global markets should the outbreak get out of hand. In other words, it could go on for a while. These factors make it a challenging period for investors, where factors other than fundamentals are having a material impact on the trajectory of markets. In such an environment, balanced portfolio construction is critical to insulating your portfolio. The proof in balance portfolio construction has been reflected in the stellar returns from both domestic and international fixed income securities over the last 18 to 24 months.

If you feel concerned by the current situation we encourage you to talk with an advisor sooner rather than later.

Source Information: Lonsec Group

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The 2015 investment landscape could resemble the plot of The Hunger Games, where investors face a changing and unexpected environment that requires multiple talents and smarts to emerge victorious. Expectations for 2015 are for global share market returns of 5 – 10 per cent, but there could be some volatility ahead.

At the beginning of 2015, global cash rates were close to zero and bond rates both internationally and in Australia were close to multi-decade lows. The Australian share market delivered flat returns over 2014 (a price return of just +1 per cent), and at the beginning of 2015, stood at levels which were no higher than 2006. With patchy global economic growth and with Australia in particular facing a painful adjustment phase as the resources boom winds down, there’s no shortage of challenges to tackle.

What will it take to ‘win’ in 2015?

1. Be prepared to adapt quickly to changing market conditions

“May the odds be ever in your favour” is the popular catchcry from The Hunger Games, highlighting the element of chance. This saying may provide little comfort, but a lot can be done to tilt opportunities in your favour.

However, the range of likely returns around those forecasts (the ‘standard deviation of return’) is large: plus or minus 20 per cent for shares, versus a wellbehaved plus or minus 5 per cent for high-yield debt.

2. If you choose freedom, you must accept the risk

Your risk profile is important in determining whether you are able to access wellvalued assets that may take time to pay off, or whether you need to be more prudent with your investment choices.

As we move further into 2015, we observe stretched global share valuations, a US Federal Reserve system preparing for higher official interest rates, pressure in commodity markets in some emerging economies and a continued winding down of the resources boom that has underwritten the Australian economy for so many years. Be mindful of the investment risks you take and maintain a long-term perspective of your goals and risk tolerance.

3. You may need to search further to gain returns

In 2015, the local Australian economy will have to deal with weaker commodity prices and collapsing resource capital spending – problems potentially compounded by a downturn in the housing cycle. Investors looking to gain exposure to economies that are in a more dynamic phase of the economic cycle will therefore need to consider markets in the Asia-Pacific region, within the Northern Hemisphere developed world, and in the emerging world more generally.

4. Be alert for opportunities

In an environment where nothing is as it seems, the lead character in The Hunger Games, Katniss, remains on guard to access valuable supplies. Likewise, given the unpredictable investment landscape, one of the lessons of 2014 was to stay diversified across a full range of asset classes. We expect more of the same unpredictability in 2015. In this environment, active management becomes especially important – investors must have wide-ranging sources of opportunities, an eye for making timely decisions and a nimble process.

The bottom line: believe that adversity offers an opportunity to do your best.

Even if the financial markets resemble The Hunger Games in 2015, it’s possible for investors to weather twists and turns by having a diversified investment mix and making wise choices based on their long-term goals.

Source: Russell

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For more information on the outlook for investment markets, speak to your financial planner.

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