Using proprietary Australian Tax Office (ATO) data, we document the size, asset allocation and expenses for a sample of 209,420 Australian self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) for the three years to June 2010. Two recent Government reviews have highlighted a lack of basic knowledge of the costs associated with running an SMSF. Our study aims to...

This report examines the Australian superannuation default fund landscape following the introduction of MySuper. The two main products are outlined – single strategy ‘balanced’ and lifecycle – including their underlying asset allocation and glide path strategies.

Luxury bequests impart systematic e ects of age to an investor's optimal allocation: the expected percentage allocation to equities rises throughout retirement. When bequests are luxuries the marginal utility of bequests declines more slowly than the marginal utility of consumption. This is essentially lower risk aversion. As a retiree approaches death, her expected remaining lifetime...