Episode
Competitive Flows and Adviser Influence: Dissecting Australia’s Super Landscape with David Bell
- Podcast
- That Super Show
- Published
- Mar 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2726
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://thatsuper.show/21
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/that-super-show-7318065/episodes/competitive-flows-and-adviser-influence-dissecting-australia-s-super-landscape-with-david-bell/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/that-super-show-7318065/competitive-flows-and-adviser-influence-dissecting-australia-s-super-landscape-with-david-bell.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
#21. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil Benson host David Bell, Executive Director at Conexus Institute. Highlights Industry growth: Superannuation assets grew by 12% last year, mostly from strong investment returns. Four funds are now “mega funds” with over $200 billion AUM. Mergers and consolidation: Fund mergers continue to shape the sector. Aware’s merger with TelstraSuper tipped it into mega fund status. Flow dynamics: Natural flows (member contributions) are steady, but competitive flows are increasingly advisor-led with platforms gaining pace. Advisor-driven switching: More than half of asset switches are now influenced by advisers, with platforms offering efficiency and adviser-friendly features. Marketing spend: Funds increased marketing by 10%, but there's little evidence it’s driving competitive inflows. Most spend is defensive—trying to stem outflows. Retirement focus: Demographics highlight 40% of assets held by members 55+. Funds are investing in retirement products and guidance, but competitive barriers remain for retaining members approaching retirement. SMSF trends: SMSFs are seeing net growth and most are established without a formal adviser. But there’s also a flow back as members tire of administration. Future landscape: The sector is heading for more mega funds and continued consolidation. Launching new funds is possible, but achieving scale remains a decades-long effort. Key takeaway: Sector priorities are shifting towards retirement, adviser functionality, and efficiency—but core flows, consolidation, and operational differentiation remain fundamental for fund leaders. Bonus: Blame marketing? Absolutely ! Chapters 00:41 - Introduction to Dr. David Bell and the Connexus Institute 07:32 - Exploring Competitive Flows in the Superannuation Industry 11:41 -…