Lesson 1: What is Superannuation?
Australia's compulsory retirement savings system.
An introduction to what superannuation is, why it exists, and why saving for retirement matters from a young age.
Superannuation
Eight lessons covering what superannuation is and how it grows, through to contributions, types of funds, investing your super, tax, fees and insurance, and getting set up from your first job.
Module overview
- 8 lessons total
- Foundation Lessons 1 to 4: What super is, how it grows, contributions and types of funds
- Lessons 5 to 8: Investing your super, tax, fees and insurance, and the real world
Phase 1: Foundation
Lesson 2: How Your Super Grows
Compound interest applied to super.
Why even small balances grow significantly over decades, and why time in the fund matters more than the amount contributed early on.
Lesson 3: Contributions
Employer and voluntary contributions.
The Super Guarantee, employer obligations, voluntary contributions, salary sacrifice, and the government co-contribution scheme.
Lesson 4: Types of Super Funds
Industry, retail and self-managed funds.
How industry funds, retail funds and SMSFs differ, what MySuper default products are, and how to evaluate and choose a fund.
Phase 2: Going further
Lesson 5: Investing Your Super
Investment options inside super.
The investment options inside super (conservative through to high growth), how your investment choice affects your long-term balance, and matching risk profile to time horizon.
Lesson 6: Super and Tax
Why super is one of Australia's most tax-effective vehicles.
The 15% contributions tax, concessional vs non-concessional contributions, and how tax treatment compares to investing outside super.
Lesson 7: Fees and Insurance
How fees and insurance affect your balance.
Administration fees, investment fees, and insurance premiums (death cover, TPD, income protection): how fees compound in reverse and erode balances over time.
Lesson 8: Super in the Real World
Setting yourself up from your first job.
Getting your first job and setting up super correctly, finding and consolidating lost accounts, the super gender gap, and simple habits to build a strong super foundation.