$71
$476

Based on your details, you can compare and save on the following superannuation
Pros and Cons
Pros and Cons
- Having your super visible in NetBank means you will never lose track of it again.
- Check your balance and make changes when it suits you.
- Competitive, easy to understand fees.
- Straight-forward lifestage investment options which change with your age.
- Support from our Super Concierge service to help bring all your super accounts together so you can save on fees.
Summary
Commonwealth Essential Super was established in 2013 to service the retirement needs of members from a wide range of industries. The fund is a public offer fund; however, is currently unavailable for new customers. Commonwealth Essential Super‘s Lifestage Strategy is the fund’s default option. Members automatically transition through 12 lifestage investment options, that increase the allocation to defensive asset classes as they get older. Members who wish to make an investment choice may also select from a Balanced option, an Australian Shares option or a Cash option. The Lifestage 1960-64 option outperformed the relevant SuperRatings Index over the 7-year period to 30 June 2020; however, underperformed across other assessed time periods.Fees are lower than the industry average across all account balances assessed. There is no switching fee, although a buy-sell spread may apply.Commonwealth Essential Super offers eligible members up to $400,000 of Death and Total & Permanent Disability insurance cover. Members have the choice to change or cancel their insurance cover at any time. No income protection is available with this product.Commonwealth Bank members may link their Essential Super account with their bank account and are provided a range of convenient services including transactional functionalities, super consolidation tools and communications directly through NetBank.
Features and Fees
Commonwealth Bank Fees and Features
- Features
- Insurance Cover
- Fees
Features
Binding nominations | |
Account size discount | Online Access |
Home loans | Financial planning service |
Non-lapsing binding nominations | Employer size discount |
Anti-detriment payments | Credit cards |
Insurance Cover
Health insurance | Insurance life event increases |
Total and permanent disability cover | Long term income protection |
Fees
Admin fee $71 | Administration fee (%) 0.3% |
Switching fee $0 | Investment fee 0.4% |
Indirect cost ratio (%) 0.11% | Exit fee $0 |
Pros and Cons
- Having your super visible in NetBank means you will never lose track of it again.
- Check your balance and make changes when it suits you.
- Competitive, easy to understand fees.
- Straight-forward lifestage investment options which change with your age.
- Support from our Super Concierge service to help bring all your super accounts together so you can save on fees.
Commonwealth Essential Super was established in 2013 to service the retirement needs of members from a wide range of industries. The fund is a public offer fund; however, is currently unavailable for new customers. Commonwealth Essential Super‘s Lifestage Strategy is the fund’s default option. Members automatically transition through 12 lifestage investment options, that increase the allocation to defensive asset classes as they get older. Members who wish to make an investment choice may also select from a Balanced option, an Australian Shares option or a Cash option. The Lifestage 1960-64 option outperformed the relevant SuperRatings Index over the 7-year period to 30 June 2020; however, underperformed across other assessed time periods.Fees are lower than the industry average across all account balances assessed. There is no switching fee, although a buy-sell spread may apply.Commonwealth Essential Super offers eligible members up to $400,000 of Death and Total & Permanent Disability insurance cover. Members have the choice to change or cancel their insurance cover at any time. No income protection is available with this product.Commonwealth Bank members may link their Essential Super account with their bank account and are provided a range of convenient services including transactional functionalities, super consolidation tools and communications directly through NetBank.
Read More
Commonwealth Bank Fees and Features
- Features
- Insurance Cover
- Fees
Features
Binding nominations | |
Account size discount | Online Access |
Home loans | Financial planning service |
Non-lapsing binding nominations | Employer size discount |
Anti-detriment payments | Credit cards |
Insurance Cover
Health insurance | Insurance life event increases |
Total and permanent disability cover | Long term income protection |
Fees
Admin fee $71 | Administration fee (%) 0.3% |
Switching fee $0 | Investment fee 0.4% |
Indirect cost ratio (%) 0.11% | Exit fee $0 |
Fund fees vs. Industry average
Fund past-5-year return vs. Industry average
Investment allocation
Investment option performance
Product | Past 5-year return New | Admin fee $71 | Company ![]() | Calc fees on 50k $476 | Features Advisory services Death insurance Income protection Online access Term deposits Variety of options | SuperRatings awards ![]() | Go to site | More details |
Past 5-year return New | Admin fee $71 | Company ![]() | Calc fees on 50k $476 | Features Advisory services Death insurance Income protection Online access Term deposits Variety of options | SuperRatings awards ![]() | Go to site | More details |
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FAQs
How do I choose the right superannuation fund?
Different superannuation funds charge different fees, offer different insurances, offer different investment options and have different performance histories.
So you need to ask yourself these four questions when comparing superannuation funds:
- How many fees would I have to pay and what would they cost?
- What insurances are available and how much would they cost?
- What investment options does it offer? How would they match my risk profile and financial needs?
- How have these investment options performed historically?
How much superannuation should I have at age 40?
The amount of superannuation you should have at age 40 is based on how much money you need to have at retirement. That, in turn, is based on how much money you expect to spend each week during your retirement. That, in turn, depends on whether you expect to lead a modest retirement or a comfortable retirement.
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) estimates you would need the following amount per week:
Lifestyle | Singles | Couples |
---|---|---|
Modest | $465 | $668 |
Comfortable | $837 | $1,150 |
Here is the superannuation balance you would need to fund that level of spending:
Lifestyle | Singles | Couples |
---|---|---|
Modest | $50,000 | $35,000 |
Comfortable | $545,000 | $640,000 |
These figures come from the March 2017 edition of the ASFA Retirement Standard.
The reason people on modest lifestyles need so much less money is because they qualify for a far bigger age pension.
Here is how ASFA defines retirement lifestyles:
Category | Comfortable | Modest | Age pension |
---|---|---|---|
Holidays | One annual holiday in Australia | One or two short breaks in Australia near where you live | Shorter breaks or day trips in your own city |
Eating out | Regularly eat out at restaurants. Good range and quality of food | Infrequently eat out at restaurants. Cheaper and less food | Only club special meals or inexpensive takeaway |
Car | Owning a reasonable car | Owning an older, less reliable car | No car – or, if you do, a struggle to afford the upkeep |
Alcohol | Bottled wine | Casked wine | Homebrew beer or no alcohol |
Clothing | Good clothes | Reasonable clothes | Basic clothes |
Hair | Regular haircuts at a good hairdresser | Regular haircuts at a basic salon | Less frequent haircuts or getting a friend to do it |
Leisure | A range of regular leisure activities | One paid leisure activity, infrequently | Free or low-cost leisure activities |
Electronics | A range of electronic equipment | Not much scope to run an air conditioner | Less heating in winter |
Maintenance | Replace kitchen and bathroom over 20 years | No budget for home improvements. Can do repairs, but can’t replace kitchen or bathroom | No budget to fix home problems like a leaky roof |
Insurance | Private health insurance | Private health insurance | No private health insurance |
How is superannuation calculated?
Superannuation is calculated at the rate of 9.5 per cent of your gross salary and wages. So if you had a salary of $50,000, your superannuation would be 9.5 per cent of that, or $4,750. This would be paid on top of your salary.
The ‘superannuation guarantee’, as it is known, has been at 9.5 per cent since the 2014-15 financial year. It is scheduled to rise to 10.0 per cent in 2021-22, 10.5 per cent in 2022-23, 11.0 per cent in 2023-24, 11.5 per cent in 2024-25 and 12.0 per cent in 2025-26.
Can I take money out of my superannuation fund?
Superannuation is designed to provide Australians with money in their retirement. The government has strict rules around when people can take that money out of their fund because it wants to prevent people eroding their savings before they reach retirement.
As a general rule, you can only take money out of your superannuation fund when you reach:
- Age 65
- Your ‘preservation age’ and retire
- Your preservation age and begin a ‘transition to retirement’ while still working
That said, you can take money out of your superannuation fund early based on one of these seven special conditions:
- Compassionate grounds
- Severe financial hardship
- Temporary incapacity
- Permanent incapacity
- Superannuation inheritance
- Superannuation balance under $200
- Temporary resident departing Australia
What contributions can SMSFs accept?
SMSFs can accept mandated employer contributions from an employer at any time (Funds need an electronic service address to receive the contributions).
However, SMSFs can’t accept contributions from members who don’t have tax file numbers.
Also, they generally can’t accept assets as contributions from members and they generally can’t accept non-mandated contributions for members who are 75 or older.
How do you claim superannuation?
There are three different ways you can claim your superannuation:
- Lump sum
- Account-based pension
- Part lump sum and part account-based pension
Two rules apply if you choose to receive an account-based pension, or income stream:
- You must receive payments at least once per year
- You must withdraw a minimum amount per year
- Age 55-64 = 4%
- Age 65-74 = 5%
- Age 75-79 = 6%
- Age 80-84 = 7%
- Age 85-89 = 9%
- Age 90-94 = 11%
- Age 95+ = 14%
If you want to work out how long your account-based pension might last, click here to access ASIC’s account-based pension calculator.
What happens if my employer falls behind on my superannuation payments?
The Australian Taxation Office will investigate if your employer falls behind on your superannuation payments or doesn’t pay at all. You can report your employer with this online tool.
Am I entitled to superannuation if I'm not an Australian citizen?
Yes, permanent and temporary residents are entitled to superannuation.
How do you calculate superannuation from a total package?
Superannuation is calculated at the rate of 9.5 per cent of your ‘ordinary-time earnings’. (For most people, ordinary-time earnings are their gross annual salary or wages.) So if you had a salary of $50,000, your superannuation would be 9.5 per cent of that, or $4,750. This would be paid on top of your salary.
As the Australian Taxation Office explains, some items are excluded from ordinary-time earnings. They include:
- Overtime work paid at overtime rates
- Expense allowances that are fully expended
- Expenses that are reimbursed
- Unfair dismissal payments
- Workers’ compensation payments
- Parental leave
- Jury duty
- Defence reserve service
- Unused annual leave when employment is terminated
- Unused long service leave when employment is terminated
- Unused sick leave when employment is terminated
Although the superannuation guarantee is currently at 9.5 per cent, it is scheduled to rise to 10.0 per cent in 2021-22, 10.5 per cent in 2022-23, 11.0 per cent in 2023-24, 11.5 per cent in 2024-25 and 12.0 per cent in 2025-26.
What is the superannuation rate?
The superannuation rate, or guarantee rate, is the percentage of your salary that your employer must pay into your superannuation fund. The superannuation guarantee has been set at 9.5 per cent since the 2014-15 financial year. It is scheduled to rise to 10.0 per cent in 2021-22, 10.5 per cent in 2022-23, 11.0 per cent in 2023-24, 11.5 per cent in 2024-25 and 12.0 per cent in 2025-26.
What happens to my superannuation when I change jobs?
You can keep your superannuation fund for as long as you like, so nothing happens when you change jobs. Please note that some superannuation funds have special features for people who work with certain employers, so these features may no longer be available if you change jobs.
What are ethical investment superannuation funds?
Ethical investment funds limit themselves to making ‘ethical’ investments (which each fund defines according to its own principles). For example, ethical funds might avoid investing in companies or industries that are linked to human suffering or environmental damage.
How do you access superannuation?
Accessing your superannuation is a simple administrative procedure – you just ask your fund to pay it. You can access your superannuation in three different ways:
- Lump sum
- Account-based pension
- Part lump sum and part account-based pension
However, please note that your superannuation fund will only be able to make a payout if you meet the ‘conditions of release’. The conditions of release say you can claim your super when you reach:
- Age 65
- Your ‘preservation age’ and retire
- Your preservation age and begin a ‘transition to retirement’ while still working
The preservation age has six different categories:
Date of birth | Preservation age |
---|---|
Before 1 July 1960 | 55 |
1 July 1960 – 30 June 1961 | 56 |
1 July 1961 – 30 June 1962 | 57 |
1 July 1962 – 30 June 1963 | 58 |
1 July 1963 – 30 June 1964 | 59 |
From 1 July 1964 | 60 |
There are also seven special circumstances under which you can claim your superannuation:
- Compassionate grounds
- Severe financial hardship
- Temporary incapacity
- Permanent incapacity
- Superannuation inheritance
- Superannuation balance under $200
- Temporary resident departing Australia
How do you create a superannuation account?
Before you create a superannuation account, you’ll need to check if you’re allowed to choose your own fund. Most Australians can, but this option doesn’t apply to some workers who are covered by industrial agreements or who are members of defined benefits funds.
Assuming you are able to choose your own fund, the next step should be research, because there are more than 200 different superannuation funds in Australia.
Once you’ve decided on your preferred superannuation fund, head to that provider’s website, where you should be able to fill in an online application or download the appropriate forms. You’ll need your tax file number (assuming you don’t want to be charged a higher tax rate), your contact details and your employer’s details (if you’re employed).
How does superannuation affect the age pension?
Most Australians who are of retirement age can qualify for the age pension. However, depending on the size of your assets and post-retirement income, you might be entitled to only a reduced pension. In some instances, you might not be entitled to any pension payments.
How can I increase my superannuation?
You can increase your superannuation through a ‘salary sacrifice’. This is where your employer takes part of your pre-tax salary and pays it directly into your superannuation account. Like regular superannuation contributions, salary sacrifices are taxed at 15 per cent when they are paid into the fund.
What are the age pension's age rules?
Australians must be aged at least 65 years and 6 months to access the age pension. This eligibility age is scheduled to increase according to the following schedule:
Date | Eligibility age |
---|---|
1 July 2019 | 66 years |
1 July 2021 | 66 years and 6 months |
1 July 2023 | 67 years |
Am I entitled to superannuation if I'm a part-time employee?
As a part-time employee, you’re entitled to superannuation if:
- You’re over 18 and earn more than $450 before tax in a calendar month
- You’re under 18, you work more than 30 hours per week and you earn more than $450 before tax in a calendar month
Can I transfer money from overseas into my superannuation account?
Yes, you can transfer money from overseas into your superannuation account – under certain conditions. First, you must provide your tax file number to your fund. Second, if you are aged between 65 and 74, you must have worked at least 40 hours within 30 consecutive days in a financial year. (Australians under 65 aren’t subject to a work test; Australians aged 75 and over cannot receive contributions to their superannuation account.)
Money transferred from overseas will generally count to both your concessional contributions limit and your non-concessional contributions limit. You will have to pay income tax on the applicable fund earnings component of any money transferred from overseas. You might also be liable for excess contributions tax.
What should I know before getting an SMSF?
Four questions to ask yourself before taking out an SMSF include:
- Do I have enough superannuation to justify the higher set-up and running costs?
- Am I able to handle complicated compliance obligations?
- Am I willing to spend lots of time researching investment options?
- Do I have the skill to make big financial decisions?
It’s also worth remembering that ordinary superannuation funds usually offer discounted life insurance and disability insurance. These discounts would no longer be available if you decided to manage your own super.