Introducing CPIplus, a Pension investment option that aims to deliver a consistent and predetermined return above inflation each year.
Not available for Transition to Retirement Pensions. Though returns above inflation are predetermined annually, Hostplus can shorten the return period. Hostplus may also adjust the rate of return with at least 30 days’ notice.
An interactive way to get financial education and tailored advice* online to help supercharge your future.
Exclusive to Hostplus members 24/7 via Member Online at no extra cost.
*Members with Term Allocated Pension, Lifetime Pension, Defined Benefit Pension, nil balances, non-standard investment options and some Maritime Contributory Accumulation members cannot access SuperSmart financial advice services.
Introducing CPIplus, a Pension investment option that aims to deliver a consistent and predetermined return above inflation each year.
Not available for Transition to Retirement Pensions. Though returns above inflation are predetermined annually, Hostplus can shorten the return period. Hostplus may also adjust the rate of return with at least 30 days’ notice.
Enter your Member Number and Password to access your account anytime.
Log in to manage your Pension account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pay your employees super contributions across multiple super funds.
Enter your Username and Password to access your account and start managing your investments.
Everyone is welcome to join us as a member of our personal super plans.
Starting a Hostplus Pension or joining Hostplus if you’re not already a member is easy.
No fees. Easy payments. Become a registered Hostplus employer in less than 10 minutes.
It only takes a few minutes to register to invest with Hostplus Self-Managed Invest.
Enter your Member Number and Password to access your account anytime.
Log in to manage your Pension account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pay your employees super contributions across multiple super funds.
Enter your Username and Password to access your account and start managing your investments.
Everyone is welcome to join us as a member of our personal super plans.
Starting a Hostplus Pension or joining Hostplus if you’re not already a member is easy.
No fees. Easy payments. Become a registered Hostplus employer in less than 10 minutes.
It only takes a few minutes to register to invest with Hostplus Self-Managed Invest.
Introducing CPIplus, a Pension investment option that aims to deliver a consistent and predetermined return above inflation each year.
Not available for Transition to Retirement Pensions. Though returns above inflation are predetermined annually, Hostplus can shorten the return period. Hostplus may also adjust the rate of return with at least 30 days’ notice.
Introducing CPIplus, a Pension investment option that aims to deliver a consistent and predetermined return above inflation each year.
Not available for Transition to Retirement Pensions. Though returns above inflation are predetermined annually, Hostplus can shorten the return period. Hostplus may also adjust the rate of return with at least 30 days’ notice.
Enter your Member Number and Password to access your account anytime.
Log in to manage your Pension account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pay your employees super contributions across multiple super funds.
Enter your Username and Password to access your account and start managing your investments.
Everyone is welcome to join us as a member of our personal super plans.
Starting a Hostplus Pension or joining Hostplus if you’re not already a member is easy.
No fees. Easy payments. Become a registered Hostplus employer in less than 10 minutes.
It only takes a few minutes to register to invest with Hostplus Self-Managed Invest.
Enter your Member Number and Password to access your account anytime.
Log in to manage your Pension account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pay your employees super contributions across multiple super funds.
Enter your Username and Password to access your account and start managing your investments.
Everyone is welcome to join us as a member of our personal super plans.
Starting a Hostplus Pension or joining Hostplus if you’re not already a member is easy.
No fees. Easy payments. Become a registered Hostplus employer in less than 10 minutes.
It only takes a few minutes to register to invest with Hostplus Self-Managed Invest.
Published February 2025
Did you know your super savings are invested to grow? On top of the money you or your employer puts into your super account, you might notice something else added to your balance. Those are investment returns – but where did they come from?
Let’s look at two drivers of super performance: the investment option you select, and how long you’re invested.
Your super is generally invested across a range of ‘asset classes’ – different types of investments such as shares, bonds, cash, and unlisted assets like infrastructure, which aim to grow your money in unique ways.
Exactly how much of your super savings is invested into each asset class is determined by which investment option you’ve selected.
(Tip: If you’ve never selected an option, you’ll be in our award-winning default Balanced (MySuper) option. It's where most of our members invest. To see which option you’re in, open the Hostplus app or log in to Member Online. )
Some options invest more of your money into ‘growth’ assets like shares, and others focus more on ‘defensive’ assets like bonds.
The table below shows the asset mix of two popular Hostplus options – Balanced (MySuper) and Indexed Balanced. The Balanced (MySuper) option has a medium-to-high risk level, while Indexed Balanced has a high risk level.
| Asset class | Balanced (MySuper) | Indexed Balanced | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listed shares | Australian shares | 21% | 35% |
| International shares (developed markets) | 22% | 40% | |
| International shares (emerging markets) | 7% | 0% | |
| Unlisted assets | Property | 10% | 0% |
| Infrastructure | 11% | 0% | |
| Private equity | 10% | 0% | |
| Credit | 7% | 0% | |
| Alternatives | 4% | 0% | |
| Bonds and cash | Diversified fixed interest | 4% | 20% |
| Cash | 4% | 5% |
Source: Hostplus as of 1 October 2024
Looking at the table, our Indexed Balanced option invests more money into listed shares than the Balanced (MySuper) option. That means its performance is linked more closely to the performance of Australian and international share markets in general.
When shares do well, the Indexed Balanced option should generally do well too. On the other hand, when shares do poorly, it may affect the Indexed Balanced option more than the Balanced (MySuper) option.
Remember, we design each investment option with specific goals in mind, which means they’ll often react differently under different market conditions. Because the majority of Hostplus members invest in our Balanced (MySuper) option, we intentionally diversify its investments as much as possible, rather than investing heavily in listed shares. Diversifying, or ‘spreading around’ investment assets can help protect it from short-term market turmoil.
Hostplus chief investment officer (CIO) Sam Sicilia says diversification helps the option achieve better returns over the long term.
“Having diversification across all of those asset classes contributes to the success of our MySuper option.”
The second big contributor to your super returns is the length of time you stay invested. Short-term investments tend to be more ‘volatile’, meaning they’re more susceptible to big swings in value, both up and down.
Short-term investors can make a lot of money very quickly, but risk losing a lot of money in that same period, too.
Investing over the long term is typically more stable. Because long-term investors have time to spare, they can invest in assets that gradually build wealth over long periods of time, often 10 or 15 years. These are things like big infrastructure projects or real estate developments.
The super system was designed to help Australians save over their entire lives. Our investment strategy at Hostplus aims to deliver great long-term performance for our members – we use time as another lever to grow your savings.
That’s why it’s important to check how your super fund has performed not only in the past year, but over the past 10 and 20 years too.
“Saving for retirement is a marathon, not a sprint,” Hostplus CEO David Elia says.
“We are focused on seeking to deliver sustained performance over those 10 and 20-year investment horizons,” he added.
You can see the impact this has by looking at the long-term returns of our Indexed Balanced and Balanced (MySuper) options.
Source: SuperRatings Fund Crediting Rate Survey - SR50 Balanced (60-76) Index, December 2024. Returns are net of investment fees and costs. Admin and other fees apply. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance and should never be the sole factor considered when selecting a superannuation fund.
The Indexed Balanced option has outperformed in the past several years because that has been a good period for shares. But over the past ten years, the Balanced (MySuper) option has performed better because its diversified mix of assets has helped it maintain consistent growth – even when share markets struggle.
Although these aren’t the only factors affecting your super’s performance, the investment option you select, and how long you’re invested play a crucial role in determining how your retirement savings grow.
The Indexed Balanced option’s recent performance is linked directly to its heavy investment into shares and the short period used to measure returns.
The Balanced (MySuper) option continues to deliver stronger results over the long term – without taking on a higher level of risk. Hostplus deputy CIO Greg Clerk says that due to its asset allocation, diversification and investment strategy, “we believe the Balanced option will outperform the Indexed Balanced option over the long term”.
Mr Sicilia adds that this long term focus has also helped to “mitigate the impact of inflationary and uncertain market conditions”.
“We never invest for just one year. We consider the prevailing market conditions and leverage the attributes of the fund – namely our younger demographic – to invest with the aim of maximising return potential over the long term,” he says.
