Strong local and international share performances in 2024 helped Australian superannuation funds generate outstanding double-digit gains. Millions of Australians who are preparing for retirement now have more financial stability thanks to another year of strong growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SuperRatings found that the average balanced superannuation fund returned 11.1% over the course of the year. This outcome above the 2023 return of 9.6%, demonstrating the sector’s tenacity and ability to handle challenging markets while providing for members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Super Funds\u2019 Top Performers Reveal Stellar Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 2024 rankings of balanced superannuation <\/a>funds underscore a standout year for growth-oriented investments. Raiz Super\u2019<\/strong>s Moderately Aggressive fund topped the list, delivering an exceptional 14.7% return<\/strong>. Other high achievers included Hostplus\u2019 Indexed Balanced option with 14.2%<\/strong> and Colonial First State\u2019s Enhanced Index Balance option, which posted a return of 13.4%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balanced funds, defined by SuperRatings <\/a>as those investing 60% to 76%<\/strong> in growth assets, were supported by gains in equities and infrastructure. These funds <\/strong>benefitted from diversified portfolios, combining strong returns in property and shares with lower exposure to riskier assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby Rappell, Executive Director at SuperRatings<\/strong>, noted the consistency in fund performance despite market uncertainties. \u201cWith a strong double-digit return for most funds, members can be reassured their retirement savings continue to grow,\u201d he said. Here are the top 10 balanced options over 12 months :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rank<\/th>	Option Name<\/th>	1 Year %<\/th>	10 Year % pa<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>	Raiz Super – Moderately Aggressive<\/strong><\/td>	14.7<\/td>	–<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>	Hostplus – Indexed Balanced<\/strong><\/td>	14.2<\/td>	7.7<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>	Colonial First State First Choice Personal – CFS Enhanced Index Balanced<\/strong><\/td>	13.4<\/td>	7.0<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>	ESSSuper – Balanced Growth<\/strong><\/td>	13.1<\/td>	–<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>	Vanguard Super – Growth<\/strong><\/td>	12.9<\/td>	–<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>	smartMonday – Balanced Growth<\/strong><\/td>	12.8<\/td>	6.9<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>	Aware Super Future Saver – Balanced<\/strong><\/td>	12.4<\/td>	7.7<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>	AMP Signature Super – Future Directions Balanced<\/strong><\/td>	12.2<\/td>	6.6<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>	Brighter Super – Balanced<\/strong><\/td>	12.1<\/td>	–<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>	GESB Super – My GESB Super Plan<\/strong><\/td>	12.0<\/td>	6.6<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Over the long term, the benefits of superannuation have become increasingly evident. A $100,000<\/strong> investment in a median balanced option 15 years ago<\/strong> would now be worth $280,237<\/strong>. Meanwhile, a growth option investment would yield $307,519<\/strong> over the same period, reinforcing the importance of strategic fund selection for retirement planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long-Term Stability Driven by Diversification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Looking beyond the year\u2019s top performers, long-term growth <\/a>trends reaffirm the stability of Australia\u2019s superannuation system. The Hostplus<\/strong> Balanced fund remained the best-performing option over the last decade, delivering an average annual return of 8.4%<\/strong>. Close competitors included Australian Retirement Trust\u2019s Super Savings Balanced option at 8.3%<\/strong> and AustralianSuper\u2019s Balanced option, which achieved 8.1%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The data also highlighted the success of passive investment strategies, which track market indices, in outperforming actively managed funds in 2024<\/strong>. Younger members, especially those enrolled in MySuper lifecycle<\/strong> options, benefitted from these approaches due to their higher allocation to growth assets, though such exposure also entails increased volatility. Here are the top 10 balanced options over 10 years :<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rank<\/th> Option Name<\/th> 1 Year %<\/th> 10 Year % pa<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> 1<\/td> Hostplus – Balanced<\/strong><\/td> 10.3<\/td> 8.4<\/td><\/tr> 2<\/td> Australian Retirement Trust – Super Savings – Balanced<\/strong><\/td> 11.9<\/td> 8.3<\/td><\/tr> 3<\/td> AustralianSuper – Balanced<\/strong><\/td> 10.5<\/td> 8.1<\/td><\/tr> 4<\/td> UniSuper – Balanced<\/strong><\/td> 11.7<\/td> 7.9<\/td><\/tr> 5<\/td> Cbus – Growth (MySuper)<\/strong><\/td> 10.8<\/td> 7.8<\/td><\/tr> 6<\/td> Vision Super – Balanced Growth<\/strong><\/td> 10.2<\/td> 7.8<\/td><\/tr> 7<\/td> Hostplus – Indexed Balanced<\/strong><\/td> 14.2<\/td> 7.7<\/td><\/tr> 8<\/td> HESTA – Balanced Growth<\/strong><\/td> 11.0<\/td> 7.7<\/td><\/tr> 9<\/td> Aware Super Future Saver – Balanced<\/strong><\/td> 12.4<\/td> 7.7<\/td><\/tr> 10<\/td> CareSuper – Balanced<\/strong><\/td> 9.6<\/td> 7.6<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n While 2024\u2019s results are encouraging, Rappell cautioned against complacency. \u201c2025 could bring many potential pitfalls,<\/strong> and sticking to a long-term strategy is important,\u201d he advised. With diversification as a cornerstone, superannuation funds remain well-placed to deliver steady returns amid evolving market conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Superannuation funds delivered exceptional double-digit returns in 2024, driven by strong performances in shares and diversified portfolios. With Raiz Super leading the pack at 14.7%, this year’s results highlight the resilience of Australia’s retirement savings system and the strategies behind their success<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":100498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100495"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100497,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100495\/revisions\/100497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}