A letter from Dave Woodall, CEO Superannuation

Thank you for the important role you play in helping employees build financial confidence and prepare for retirement.

The superannuation landscape continues to evolve, and the past few months have seen significant change across regulation, investment markets and member expectations. While Payday Super is now in effect, economic uncertainty and shifting market conditions continue to shape the environment in which employers, members and super funds operate.

As always, our focus remains on supporting employers with practical guidance while helping members stay focused on long-term outcomes. In this edition, we share updates on investment performance, support available through our Payday Super resources and other initiatives designed to help employers and members navigate change with confidence.

Super that’s building towards a glorious retirement

I’m pleased to share that our investment performance continues to deliver for members, with MLC’s MySuper Growth Portfolio achieving an average return of 9.9% p.a. over three years and MLC’s High Growth option returning a strong 11.3% p.a. over the same period to 30 June 2026. 

These returns were supported by a range of global investment opportunities over the past year.

Growth in technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), has been a key driver, supported by both major global companies and businesses in Asia that provide essential components.

Investments in areas like data centres, renewable energy and telecommunications also contributed, offering steady income and long-term growth potential.

While markets experienced some ups and downs due to global events, spreading investments across different areas helped manage risk.

Employers can hear from Dan Farmer, Chief Investment Officer and read MLC’s investment performance update to learn more.
 

Payday Super: supporting employers after implementation

With Payday Super now in effect, many employers have successfully transitioned from planning and preparation into day-to-day implementation.

As businesses adapt to new contribution timeframes and processes, accurate data and efficient administration will remain important. We're continuing to update our dedicated Payday Super hub with practical guidance, updated FAQs, videos and other resources to support employers as they embed these changes into their ongoing operations.
 

Building financial confidence and retirement readiness

Strong retirement outcomes are shaped by more than investment performance alone. That's why we've launched our new Real Retirement Report for Employers, which helps employers better understand the attitudes, aspirations and challenges shaping employees' financial wellbeing and retirement readiness. The report highlights opportunities for employers to play an important role in building financial confidence and supporting employees on their journey to retirement. Employers can also explore the broader consumer findings through MLC's Real Retirement hub, providing additional insight into the attitudes, aspirations and financial confidence of Australian workers.

To help employers translate these insights into action, we've also made available a range of investment and market resources from our MLC Asset Management experts through our latest Expert Insights recording and 2025-26 financial year in review. Together, these resources provide commentary on economic and market conditions, MySuper performance and portfolio positioning, including a spotlight on private credit and the role it can play within diversified portfolios. In his 2025-26 Financial Year in Review, Senior Economist Bob Cunneen reflects on the key economic and market events that shaped the investment landscape over the past year.
 

Helping protect members from fraud and scams

Building financial confidence also means helping members protect the retirement savings they've worked hard to accumulate. As scams become increasingly sophisticated, we've launched a new fraud and scams page to help members understand common warning signs, stay vigilant online and take practical steps to help keep their super and investments secure.

While the superannuation environment continues to evolve, our focus remains unchanged: helping employers support their people and helping members build confidence in their retirement future.

Warm regards,
Dave Woodall
CEO, Superannuation