This report focuses on a sample of Australian superannuation funds to gain a better understanding of the factors that influences the fees that they charge. We examine how fund size, asset allocation, risk category and fund type influence investment, administration and total fees. We find that industry funds charge an investment fee that is over...

There is considerable debate about the size of fees charged by superannuation funds. This paper investigates both investment fees and administration fees and shows that there are economically valid reasons why most investment fees are set at their current level. Our results show that on average, retail funds are charging both higher investment fees and...

Using a comprehensive dataset of Australian superannuation funds, we examine the relationship between investment fees and fund performance. We find that the most expensive funds produce significantly higher after-fee raw returns than the cheapest funds. The findings suggest that retirement balances will not be worse off if superannuation investors are to hold the more expensive...

A study of market bubbles is generally considered a test of market eciency (or ineciency) since bubbles are concerned with rising prices that are detached from their fundamental values. Verifying the existence of such an ineciency requires us to be able to appropriately formulate fundamental value, which typically assumes homogeneous and rational investors. Requiring additional...

We explore the conditions under which a financial asset emerges as a global store of value and can co-exist with a pre-existing (incumbent) store of value. In our model the acceptability of an asset as a global store is driven by the issuing region’s financial development, growth rate, degree of capital liberalization, and by strategic...