That Super Show

#35 Neil Benson and Sarah Penn break down the real impact of recent superannuation reforms, the ongoing debate over fund consolidation, and the complex trade-offs facing Australia's retirement system. The heart of this episode is a growing tension: while Australia’s super system is lauded for low pension spending and strong retirement outcomes, it faces mounting criticism—especially from politicia...

#34. The new era of super legislation: how much is too much—and who pays? Sarah and Neil dig into the government's proposed reforms with Financial Services Council CEO Blake Briggs, uncovering the central tension: how do you craft effective consumer protections after the First Guardian and Shield disasters, without layering on so much complexity and cost that it stifles the industry and confuses m...

#33. Australian Food Super’s Dan Musson and InvestStream’s Gary Bryan join Neil and Sarah to dig into the realities - not just the AI-pilled promise - of using AI to make super advice genuinely usable for everyday Australians. Most digital super tools feel like bland calculators or force members into a Woolworths-like DIY experience, making the complex even harder. Australian Food Super wanted not...

#32. Neil Benson unpacks the growing pressure on Australian superannuation funds to clearly explain what members pay for, and whether scale, complexity, and rising costs are delivering genuine value. Central tension: As more funds merge, raise fees, or tweak insurance, the old argument that "bigger is better" isn't enough. Members, regulators, and boards now demand concrete proof that these change...

#31. The episode digs into why customer service in superannuation call centres is consistently failing, what that means for members at moments of real need, and whether mandatory service standards are required to fix it. Xavier O'Halloran of Super Consumers Australia joins Neil Benson and Sarah Penn to break down the findings of a first-of-its-kind research project: not one super fund met basic cu...

#30. Cohosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn chat with Kerry Vogel, Head of Insurance Claims, Performance and Delivery at CBUS Super. Today's conversation focuses on how CBUS Super responded to major failings in handling death claims by moving beyond surface fixes and fundamentally redesigning the process. The central argument: Australian super funds create unnecessary complexity and distress for griev...

#29. Guest Duncan McPherson, founder of Borromean Consulting and former Link Advice CEO, joins Sarah and Neil to dig into the evolving intersection of advice and superannuation delivery. The discussion challenges the old idea that there’s a single operating model for advice within funds, arguing instead that the critical issue is how and where each fund draws the line between in-house and external...

#28. Join Sarah and Neil as they recap from day two at the Future Fund Admin 2026 forum in Sydney. This episode argues that super funds can’t achieve real member experience improvements by relying only on surface-level changes—like updated communication—without fixing the underlying systems and rules that shape every customer interaction. Through firsthand stories and honest discussion, the hosts...

#27. Join Sarah and Neil as they recap from day one at the Future Fund Admin 2026 forum in Sydney. This episode grapples with whether Australia’s superannuation industry will really consolidate to just a handful of mega funds—and what that could mean for members, small funds, and fund administrators caught between regulatory expectations and practical realities. Sarah and Neil unpack how the growi...

#26. Co-hosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn break down the latest superannuation shake-ups and tech trends. Highlights Industry super funds are now experiencing net outflows to retail funds, with $4.3 billion switching over two years. Sarah Penn questions whether proposed partnerships between industry funds and retail platforms actually benefit members, suggesting they may simply repackage underused...

#25. Should retirees be forced to take a pension? Why are Treasury’s latest consultation papers sending shockwaves through the super industry? We break it down for you in this episode. Highlights 1. Enhancing Member Protections in the Super System The definition of a platform trustee — and why it matters (02:08) Increased penalties for misconduct: who really ends up paying? (05:05) Proposed waitin...

#24. On this episode of That Super Show, co-hosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn break down the Treasury’s proposed ban on super fund advertising during onboarding, the shakeup in advisor education requirements, and dig into why APRA and the ATO are getting twitchy about payday super implementation (spoiler: small business, we see you…). Plus, are performance tests quietly killing investment innovatio...

#23 Welcome to That Super Show, your inside look at Australia’s superannuation industry. Neil Benson and Sarah Penn dive into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping super—from industry roadshows in the US to advances in AI, and the evolving insurance landscape. They discuss why Australian funds are looking globally for investments, the efficiency and value of industry trips, and...

#22. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil Benson chat with Anthony Saliba, Partner at Deloitte Actuarial Consulting. Highlights Retirement income measurement challenge: Determining if retirement income solutions are working is complex, especially with new best practice principles released by Treasury. Best practice principles explained: Treasury’s principles aim to guide trustees in supporting retirees, b...

#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 s...

#20. Sarah flies solo! And discusses death benefit claims and deceased estates with Ben Darlow and Sarah Poole from EstateXchange . Highlights The death benefit challenge: Processing death benefit claims is often complex, manual, and paper-heavy, despite the growing need for efficiency as $5.4 trillion in wealth transfers between generations. Executors’ reality: Families face interacting with up t...

#19. Co-hosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn unpack the latest trends and news impacting the superannuation industry. Highlights Super brand recognition: Surprising results from a Conjointly brand tracker highlight low public awareness of major super brands, including only 57% recognition for AussieSuper and 49% for Hostplus, challenging industry assumptions. The complexity and cost of rebranding: Reb...

#18. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil Benson discuss ASIC’s 2026 priorities and what they mean for super funds. Highlights 05:37 - A Focus on Operational Failures and Cyber Resilience. Private credit risks: ASIC flags concerns about retail exposure to private market credit products. Experience of fund managers and transparency are under the spotlight. Operational failures: Claims delays, cyber resilie...

#17. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil Benson chat with Adrian Gervasoni, Executive Manager Advice Services at Industry Fund Services. Highlights Member engagement challenges Rethinking the member journey Super as 'your future wage' Super portals try to present too much info The power of nudges The new class of advisers - what this means in practise What we can learn from banks closing branches and mov...

#16. Co-hosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn return for the first episode of 2026 with a roundup of big news and trends in the superannuation industry. Highlights Holiday updates: Neil did some DIY renovations and Sarah struggled to find a builder, opting for travel instead. CSLR debate: Misha Schubert from the Super Members Council suggests SMSFs should pay for the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort,...

#15. Neil Benson and Sarah Penn dive into a lively year-end review of Australia’s superannuation industry. Highlights From legislative wins and regulatory challenges to industry shakeups and innovative tech trends, they unpack the major highlights and low points that shaped 2025. You’ll hear their candid takes on big topics like Division 296 reforms, the SG rate increase, the impact of Payday Supe...

#14. Cohosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn are joined by Victoria Butt, CEO and founder of Parity Consulting, to unpack the latest trends shaping the talent market as we head toward 2026. Highlights Drawing on fresh insights from nearly 5,000 industry professionals, they discuss the shifting priorities of Australia's financial services workforce, the surprising dynamics around return-to-office mandat...

#13. Hosts Neil Benson and Sarah Penn dive deep into the world of Australian superannuation. This week, they're joined by an insightful panel of guests—including Emma Jonceski (Aware Super), Cathy Duncan (TCS), Alana Devitt (CoreData), Dan McKean (Chandler), and Zoe Sheehan (TAL)—as they unpack all the highlights from the IBRC Engage 2025 Future of Member Engagement, Comms, and Experience Forum. F...

#12. Neil and Sarah have just wrapped up at the ASFA conference, and they reconnect with industry leaders and discuss the latest trends shaping super, from digital innovation and regulatory challenges to the future of retirement. This episode features expert insights from guests like Jane Couchman from Aware Super, Zein el Hassan from Mills Oakley, and Shaun Bransdon from TAL Australia, covering e...

#11. We’re excited to bring you the highlights from the cloakroom of the expo hall at this year’s ASFA Conference on the Gold Coast. Only the most glamourous locations for your intrepid hosts, dear listener! Neil and Sarah unpack what’s happening in superannuation, share feedback from listeners, preview ASFA Con 2025, and tackle some of the trickiest questions facing funds and members today. 🎤 AS...