Our Methodology

Data Sources

Our superannuation data is sourced directly from authoritative and publicly available sources:

• Product Disclosure Statements (PDS): Fee schedules, investment options, and insurance details are sourced from each fund's official PDS documents.
• APRA Statistics: Industry-level data including assets under management, membership numbers, and aggregate performance figures are drawn from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's quarterly and annual statistical publications.
• Fund Websites: Current performance returns, investment option details, and fund-specific information are verified against each fund's official website.

How We Compare Super Funds

Our comparison methodology is designed to give Australians a clear, like-for-like view of super fund options. Here's what we measure:

Fee Calculations

We calculate total fees using a standardised approach that includes:

• Administration fees: Both fixed dollar amounts and percentage-based administration fees.
• Investment fees: The ongoing cost of managing your investments, expressed as a percentage of your balance.
• Total fee at representative balances: We calculate the total annual fee at a $50,000 balance to provide a comparable benchmark across funds. This includes the fixed administration fee plus percentage-based administration and investment fees applied to the balance amount.

Performance Returns

We display historical returns over 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10-year periods where available. All performance figures are net of investment fees and tax, as reported by each fund. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investment Options

For funds offering multiple investment options (such as indexed, balanced, and high growth), we compare like-for-like options including their fees and returns across Australian and international equity exposures.

Our Comparison Tools

• Fund Comparison Tool: Allows side-by-side comparison of up to three super funds across fees, performance, and features.
• Fee Impact Calculator: Shows how different fee structures affect your retirement savings over time at various balance levels ($10k, $50k, $100k, $250k).
• Indexed Options Comparison: Compares passive investment options across funds, factoring in your balance and preferred Australian/international allocation split.

Data Freshness

Our fund data is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the most current information available:

• Performance returns are updated as funds publish their latest figures, typically quarterly.
• Fee information is reviewed whenever funds update their PDS documents.
• Our website automatically refreshes data from our database every six hours to ensure the latest updates are reflected.

Editorial Process

All content published on CompareFair, including guides and analysis, is researched and written by the CompareFair Research Team. Our editorial process includes:

• Research across multiple primary sources including APRA data, fund PDS documents, and industry reports.
• Cross-verification of data points against fund websites and official publications.
• Review for accuracy, balance, and clarity before publication.
• Regular updates to reflect changes in fund offerings, fees, or performance data.

Independence

CompareFair is editorially independent. We do not receive commissions, payments, or any form of compensation from super funds or financial product providers for placement, ranking, or favourable treatment on our website. Our comparisons are based solely on publicly available data and our standardised methodology.

Limitations

While we strive for accuracy and completeness, our comparisons have limitations:

• We compare a selection of major Australian super funds and may not cover every fund or investment option available.
• Some fee structures are complex and may vary based on individual circumstances (e.g., employer-negotiated rates).
• Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
• Our information is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial advice.

For more details on these limitations, please read our full disclaimer.

Questions or Feedback

If you have questions about our methodology or notice any data that appears incorrect, please contact us. We welcome feedback that helps us improve our comparisons.