Brighter Super Fund — superannuation fund performance
Pensions: all tracked plans · Australian super in numbers · Private market performance · the PE statistics · what plans disclose · where they diverge
Brighter Super Fund reported A$36.8bn of total assets for 315,764 member accounts (average balance A$111k) in APRA's fund-level statistics for the year to 30 June 2025, with a one-year rate of return of 10.3%.
| Total assets | A$36.8bn |
| Member accounts | 315,764 |
| Average member balance | A$111k |
| 1-year rate of return | 10.3% |
| 5-year rate of return (annualised) | 7.1% |
| 10-year rate of return (annualised) | 6.6% |
| Investment options offered | — |
What running the fund costs
For its reporting year ended 30 June 2025, Brighter Super Fund ran on an operating expense ratio of 0.3% — the running cost per dollar of savings (0.5% is 50 cents per A$100 a year). Payments to related parties — companies connected to the fund's own trustee or owner group — came to A$13.0m, equal to roughly 15.5% of its administration bill (a related-party payment is disclosed, not improper — but it is worth knowing who the fund pays).
| Operating expense ratio | 0.3% |
| Investment expense ratio | 0.4% |
| Administration and operating expenses | A$83.9m |
| Marketing spend | A$2.6m (about A$8 per member account) |
| Executive remuneration (expensed to the fund) | A$3.4m |
| Director remuneration | A$625k |
| Payments to related parties | A$13.0m |
| Payments to industrial bodies | A$198k |
The annual performance test
Every year the regulator tests most super products against a benchmark portfolio — fail twice and the product must close to new members. As at 30 June 2025, 9 of this fund's products and options were tested, and every one of them passed:
| Product / option | Type | Test result | 10-yr return | Admin fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accumulation - MySuper | MySuper | Pass | 7.2% | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — Growth Accumulation Option | Choice | Pass | — | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — Balanced Accumulation Option | Choice | Pass | — | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — Conservative Balanced Accumulation Option | Choice | Pass | — | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — Stable Accumulation Option | Choice | Pass | — | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — Indexed Balanced Accumulation Option | Choice | Pass* | — | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — DFI_ACC | Choice | Pass | 2.0% | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — DEF_ACC | Choice | Pass | 3.0% | 0.2% |
| Accumulation - Choice — PROP_ACC | Choice | Pass | 5.4% | 0.2% |
Does the insurance pay out?
Most super accounts carry insurance, paid from your balance. The admittance rate is the share of finalised claims the insurer accepted in the year to 30 June 2025 — the single best number for "does this cover actually pay". Over the year it collected A$111.6m in premiums and paid out A$225.7m in claims (claims paid in a year often relate to earlier years' cover, so this is a cash-flow picture, not a loss ratio).
| Cover type | Claims accepted (1-yr) | Claims paid | Premiums collected | Insurer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life insurance (death cover) | 97.7% | A$76.4m | A$31.1m | TAL Life Limited, Zurich Australia Limited |
| Total & permanent disability (TPD) | 83.4% | A$94.0m | A$38.2m | TAL Life Limited, Zurich Australia Limited |
| Income protection | 93.7% | A$55.3m | A$42.2m | TAL Life Limited, Zurich Australia Limited |
The gender gap in this fund
In Brighter Super Fund, women's average balance was 18.0% lower than men's — from the fund-level member demographics APRA last published for the year to 30 June 2022:
| Average balance — female members | A$146k |
| Average balance — male members | A$179k |
| Member accounts (female / male) | 41,192 / 87,076 |
Compare Brighter Super Fund with similar funds
The funds closest to Brighter Super Fund in size, side by side — each with its own page for the fees, insurance and performance-test detail:
| Fund | Assets | 1-yr return | 10-yr return | Why comparable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netwealth Superannuation Master Fund | A$38.0bn | 9.0% | 4.8% | Similar size |
| equipsuper | A$38.2bn | 10.2% | 6.5% | Similar size |
| Retirement Portfolio Service | A$39.9bn | 10.5% | 5.6% | Similar size |
| Local Authorities Superannuation Fund | A$31.0bn | 7.0% | 6.8% | Similar size |
| Public Sector Superannuation Accumulation Plan | A$30.7bn | 10.5% | 6.9% | Similar size |
| Telstra Superannuation Scheme | A$29.0bn | 9.1% | 6.2% | Similar size |
Questions this page answers
How big is Brighter Super Fund?
Brighter Super Fund held A$36.8bn in total assets for 315,764 member accounts in the APRA fund-level statistics for the year to 30 June 2025.
What return has Brighter Super Fund delivered?
Brighter Super Fund reported a 10.3% one-year rate of return, and 6.6% a year over the past ten years, at whole-of-fund level in the APRA fund-level statistics.
What does Brighter Super Fund charge in fees?
Brighter Super Fund reported an operating expense ratio of 0.3% and an investment expense ratio of 0.4% for its reporting year ended 30 June 2025 — the running cost per dollar of savings (APRA fund-level statistics).
Did Brighter Super Fund's products pass the performance test?
9 of Brighter Super Fund's products and options were tested against the regulator's annual performance test as at 30 June 2025, and every one passed.
Does Brighter Super Fund's insurance pay out?
In its latest reported year Brighter Super Fund's default cover collected A$111.6m in premiums and paid A$225.7m in claims, per the APRA fund-level statistics.
See also: Australian super in numbers — marketing spend, expenses, the gender gap and two decades of consolidation across all APRA-regulated funds · all tracked plans.