Retail Employees Superannuation Trust — superannuation fund performance
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Retail Employees Superannuation Trust reported A$101.6bn of total assets for 2,147,956 member accounts (average balance A$46k) in APRA's fund-level statistics for the year to 30 June 2025, with a one-year rate of return of 9.7%.
| Total assets | A$101.6bn |
| Member accounts | 2,147,956 |
| Average member balance | A$46k |
| 1-year rate of return | 9.7% |
| 5-year rate of return (annualised) | 8.1% |
| 10-year rate of return (annualised) | 6.4% |
| Investment options offered | — |
What running the fund costs
For its reporting year ended 30 June 2025, Retail Employees Superannuation Trust 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$2.7m, equal to roughly 0.9% 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$299.8m |
| Marketing spend | A$23.1m (about A$11 per member account) |
| Executive remuneration (expensed to the fund) | A$7.5m |
| Director remuneration | A$1.3m |
| Payments to related parties | A$2.7m |
| Payments to industrial bodies | A$272k |
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, 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MySuper | MySuper | Pass | 6.8% | 0.3% |
| Choice - Accumulation — High Growth Accumulation option | Choice | Pass | 8.4% | 0.3% |
| Choice - Accumulation — Balanced Accumulation option | Choice | Pass | 5.6% | 0.3% |
| Choice - Accumulation — Capital Stable Accumulation option | Choice | Pass | 4.2% | 0.3% |
| Choice - Accumulation — Balanced - Indexed Accumulation option | Choice | Pass* | — | 0.3% |
| Choice - Accumulation — Sustainable Growth Accumulation option | Choice | Pass* | — | 0.3% |
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$456.6m in premiums and paid out A$517.2m 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) | 99.7% | A$157.0m | A$176.4m | TAL Life Limited |
| Total & permanent disability (TPD) | 89.2% | A$114.4m | A$89.1m | TAL Life Limited |
| Income protection | 96.7% | A$245.8m | A$191.1m | TAL Life Limited |
The gender gap in this fund
In Retail Employees Superannuation Trust, women's average balance was 6.8% 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$33k |
| Average balance — male members | A$35k |
| Member accounts (female / male) | 1,135,840 / 787,516 |
Compare Retail Employees Superannuation Trust with similar funds
The funds closest to Retail Employees Superannuation Trust 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HESTA | A$101.2bn | 10.1% | 7.2% | Similar size |
| Military Superannuation & Benefits Fund No 1 | A$99.8bn | 1.6% | 2.1% | Similar size |
| Construction and Building Unions Superannuation Fund | A$107.0bn | 10.0% | 7.4% | Similar size |
| Colonial First State FirstChoice Superannuation Trust | A$107.6bn | 10.6% | 5.8% | Similar size |
| MLC Super Fund | A$94.0bn | 9.6% | — | Similar size |
| Mercer Super Trust | A$81.2bn | 11.3% | 6.6% | Similar size |
Questions this page answers
How big is Retail Employees Superannuation Trust?
Retail Employees Superannuation Trust held A$101.6bn in total assets for 2,147,956 member accounts in the APRA fund-level statistics for the year to 30 June 2025.
What return has Retail Employees Superannuation Trust delivered?
Retail Employees Superannuation Trust reported a 9.7% one-year rate of return, and 6.4% a year over the past ten years, at whole-of-fund level in the APRA fund-level statistics.
What does Retail Employees Superannuation Trust charge in fees?
Retail Employees Superannuation Trust 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 Retail Employees Superannuation Trust's products pass the performance test?
6 of Retail Employees Superannuation Trust's products and options were tested against the regulator's annual performance test as at 30 June 2025, and every one passed.
Does Retail Employees Superannuation Trust's insurance pay out?
In its latest reported year Retail Employees Superannuation Trust's default cover collected A$456.6m in premiums and paid A$517.2m 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.