Rainmaker Information Media Release - Rainmaker Information

June 6, 2025

New Zealand’s KiwiSaver scheme has grown from $112 billion to $123 billion in funds under management over the year to 31 March 2025, a growth of 10%.

Individual & Group Risk Inflows For the year to December 2024

May 16, 2025

Total Risk Market Inflows down 1.5% to $18.1 billion. Inflows into the Lump Sum sub-market posted a fall of 2.9% over the past year, with mixed results amongst leading companies.

The managed accounts sector had $257 billion in funds under advice

Continued managed accounts growth

May 9, 2025

Managed Accounts continues to attract a surge in funds under advice, with 24.5% growth over the last calendar year.

Claims handling by group insurers in super

Death & TPD claims in super

May 1, 2025

43,000 claims were filed for death & TPD in the 12 months to June 2024 through group insurance in super. Of the total claims, 69% were accepted by the insurers, while only 6% of claims were declined.

Rainmaker Information AAA Quality Ratings 2025

2025 AAA Rated Super Products

April 28, 2025

125 superannuation products have received a AAA Quality Rating from Rainmaker Information in 2025.

Rainmaker Information launches Rainmaker MarketPro

March 31, 2025

Rainmaker Information has re-named the RainmakerLive terminal to Rainmaker MarketPro, which includes several key product updates.

Rainmaker Information launches Rainmaker MarketPro

March 31, 2025

Rainmaker Information has re-named the RainmakerLive terminal to Rainmaker MarketPro, which includes several key product updates.

Adviser movements pipeline launched

August 20, 2021

The RainmakerLive adviser movements pipeline shows the movement of financial advisers/planners across AFSLs and financial advice practices.

ISS to Acquire Rainmaker Information

July 22, 2021

Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS), announced that one of its group companies has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Rainmaker Information.

Australia faces a shrinking pool of financial advisers, with no quick recovery in sight

October 16, 2024

Australia's financial advice industry is grappling with a sharp decline in the number of registered advisers, a trend that shows no signs of reversing anytime soon.

Managed Discretionary Account advice holds up despite adviser exits

February 13, 2024

The number of financial advisers authorised to provide product specific advice for managed discretionary accounts has fallen the least, at 6.1%

Australia faces shortfall of Financial Advisers

November 1, 2023

Australia’s financial adviser numbers have stabilised at 16,000 and is projected to climb, but this may not be enough to avert a supply shortfall.

Financial adviser numbers show signs of recovery

May 30, 2023

For the first time in three and a half years, the number of financial advisers in Australia has increased.

AFSLs experiencing the largest growth in 2022

February 7, 2023

Ord Minnett, Count Financial and Industry Fund Services achieved the largest net growth in their number of financial advisers in 2022.

Australia’s financial adviser numbers in 2024

September 28, 2022

The number of financial advisers in Australia has dropped from 26,500 to 16,671 between 2019 and 2022. This begs the question; will this trajectory continue?

Financial adviser numbers at five-year low

September 14, 2021

There were 19,382 financial advisers in Australia at 30 June 2021, the first financial year since 2015 that ended with numbers falling below 20,000.

The Better Advice Bill

August 5, 2021

The Financial Sector Reform Better Advice Bill 2021, was introduced into Parliament, proposing four measures affecting financial advice and AFSLs.

Robo advice could be a $60 billion industry

July 26, 2021

Latest research from Rainmaker Information estimates robo advice in Australia has the potential to become a $60 billion industry.

Financial adviser numbers decline

August 11, 2020

The number of financial advisers in Australia decreased 16% in FY 2019-20, according to research from the Rainmaker Financial Adviser Report.

High net worth investment capital

May 31, 2021

Australia's 284,000 high net worth individuals have over $1.4 trillion in available investment capital.

Contestable assets in managed accounts

September 19, 2025

Contestable investment mandate universe now includes 2,658 managed accounts.

FY 2024/2025 managed funds performance

August 18, 2025

International equities large cap was the top performing asset class in FY 2024-25, with a 16.6% median return for the financial year.

The rights and wrongs of ETP manager growth

January 31, 2025

Measuring the growth of ETP managers depends on numerous factors, such as size, net flows, market returns, changes in fees and the quality of monthly flows.

Dual access ETPs cost four times the rest of the market

November 1, 2024

Dual access ETPs, which are transacted both on stock exchanges and off-market through funds managers, can cost four times as much as the rest of the Australian ETP market

Asset-weighted fees for ETP managers fall by 8%

July 5, 2024

Management fees of the top five diversified Exchange Traded Product managers in Australia fell by an average of 8% in the 12 months to March 2024

Exchange Traded Products are winning the distribution war

June 14, 2024

Analysis of net funds flow in the Australian investment products market shows that Exchange Traded Products are stomping the historical world of unlisted unit trusts.

Indexing set to reach $1 trillion by 2026

February 14, 2024

Indexed investing is on-track to surpass $1 trillion by 2026, when it should account for more than one-quarter of all investment management FUM.

Underperformance in managed funds and superannuation funds

November 7, 2023

Reproducing the returns of indices is proving to a challenge. Over the past year, 76% of actively managed Australian equities funds underperformed.

Higher returns from unpopular funds?

April 18, 2023

Investors may make more money if they invest in managed investment products that are in net outflows - when investors are withdrawing money from them.

$16 billion in annual managed funds net flows

September 21, 2022

The managed funds industry had estimated net flows of $16 billion in the 12 months to 30 June 2022. Australian equities large cap had the highest 12-month net flows with $6 billion.

Cboe increasing ETF competition in Australia

April 29, 2022

The purchase of Chi-X Asia Pacific by Cboe Global Markets in 2021 accelerated the competition for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) business in Australia.

Value vs. growth: This too shall pass

April 28, 2022

The difference in the monthly return of international equities value versus international equities growth in January was the highest in the past 20 years.

ESG managed funds outperform

February 18, 2022

Managed funds with a heavy focus on the environment, social and corporate governance (ESG) outperformed the overall market, showing that having an ESG focus can boost investment performance.

Winners from Vanguard's mandate switch

February 7, 2022

SSGA and BlackRock were the two main winners from Vanguard's shift from competing for institutional funds to focusing on retail investors.

Managed fund outperformance rewarded with inflows

December 22, 2021

Managed funds that persistently outperformed were very likely to attract significant inflows within the next 12 months.

ETF market shifts to active products

November 10, 2021

With the Australian Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) market booming, there is a shift that is seeing more actively managed products enter the market.

Wholesale managed fund fees fall 7%

February 10, 2021

Wholesale managed fund fees dropped 6% in 2020. Of the asset classes, alternatives has the highest median fees, followed by equities and property.

Fixed interest and cash ETP update

January 14, 2021

Assets of fixed interest and cash exchanged traded products grew 30% in the 12 months to end September 2020, according to findings from Rainmaker Information.

LICs market landscape 2020

December 15, 2020

The $44 billion Listed Investment Companies (LIC) sector is now dwarfed by other comparative segments: Exchange Traded Products (ETP), Managed Accounts and mFunds.

ESG wholesale managed funds outperform

October 29, 2020

ESG-aligned wholesale managed funds continue to outperform in the managed funds market, reveals latest research from Rainmaker Information.

Australian ESG exchange traded product growth soars

August 7, 2020

ESG products grew at almost triple the rate of the rest of the Australian exchange traded products market.

Growth in institutional mandates

July 22, 2020

Not for profit super funds and fund managers awarded 413 institutional investment mandates in the 12 months to 31 March 2020.

Inflows for Australian equities ETPs

April 14, 2020

Investors showed their optimism for local equities by flocking to Australian equities in March, according to latest research.

ETP market shift a win for investors

January 30, 2020

The Australian Exchange Traded Products (ETP) market capped off a water shed 2019 with a record quarter of net flows equating to $4.8 billion.

Australians among most active ESG investors

June 5, 2019

Australian investors currently have $30 billion dollars invested in ESG specific offerings, which has grown by 37% in the 12 months to December 2018.

Wholesale Managed Funds Performance - March 2019

May 15, 2019

The Australian Unity Retail Property Fund and Fidelity China Fund were the highest performing wholesale managed funds over three years to March 2019.

Continued managed accounts growth

May 9, 2025

Managed Accounts continues to attract a surge in funds under advice, with 24.5% growth over the last calendar year.

SMAs dominating the managed accounts market

December 20, 2022

Separately Managed Accounts’ footprint in the managed account sector has jumped from one-third to one-half in just two years.

Managed accounts market reaches $175 billion

May 26, 2022

Funds under administration (FUA) in managed accounts platforms has continued its rapid growth, increasing by almost 50% p.a. in the last three years.

Managed accounts lifting up platform market

April 22, 2021

Australia's investment platform market is continuing to be shaken up by managed accounts. Managed accounts now make up $86 billion in funds under advice.

Model portfolio growth continues

July 3, 2020

Australia's model portfolio landscape is continuing to grow at a rapid rate, with the number of models available on Managed accounts growing by 70%p.a.

Superannuation fees fall again

October 16, 2025

The industry-wide total expense ratio of Australian superannuation products fell three basis points from 0.89% pa to 0.86% pa over the 12 months to March 2025.

SMSFs exposure to fixed interest continues to ramp up

August 11, 2025

Self-managed super funds' allocation to fixed interest has doubled over the past 10 years.

MySuper returns 10.6% for FY 24/25

August 6, 2025

The Rainmaker MySuper index delivered 10.6% for the 2025 financial year and 9.8% pa over three-years after fees and taxes.

Super funds' allocation to private assets continues to grow

June 16, 2025

At the end of June 2024 private assets in super were worth $400 billion, compared with June 2022 when private assets were worth $300.

10% annual growth in KiwiSaver FUM

June 6, 2025

New Zealand’s KiwiSaver scheme has grown from $112 billion to $123 billion in funds under management over the year to 31 March 2025, a growth of 10%.

2025 AAA Rated Super Products

April 28, 2025

125 superannuation products have received a AAA Quality Rating from Rainmaker Information in 2025.

SMSFs allocate $177 billion to managed funds

October 18, 2024

The SMSF sector, despite slowing overall growth, continues to direct an increasing share of its $933 billion in assets toward managed investment products.

2024 AAA Super Products announced

March 11, 2024

164 superannuation products have received a AAA Quality Rating from Rainmaker Information in 2024.

Internally managed super fund FUM could reach 43% by 2043

January 18, 2024

As market concentration among super funds increases, the influence of these larger funds predisposes the market to internal management intensifying.

Super fund fees fall to record low

November 13, 2023

Superannuation fees have fallen 2% over the last financial year to reach to 0.93% per annum, the lowest total expense ratio on record.

ESG Leader Super funds announced for 2023

September 27, 2023

15 superannuation funds have received Rainmaker Information’s ESG Leader Rating in 2023.

Group insurance can halve members’ premium costs

July 21, 2023

Superannuation fund members who purchase life insurance through their super fund can save up to 50% on regular premium prices offered direct from insurers online.

Retirees projected to own 55% of all superannuation assets

July 18, 2023

Retirees are expected to own half of all superannuation FUM within a decade. Retirees currently own $625 billion in assets within APRA-regulated funds.

MySuper vs ESG portfolio holdings

June 2, 2023

The typical portfolio holdings of MySuper products compared to ESG products showed general consistency, however, a closer look reveals significant differences.

Record superannuation contributions in 2021-22

April 26, 2023

Australians contributed a record $163 billion into their superannuation accounts in 2021-22, an increase of 13%. It is the third highest annual lift since the 2007-08 Global Financial Crisis.

2023 AAA Super Products announced

March 29, 2023

158 superannuation products, from 56 super funds, have received a AAA Quality Rating from Rainmaker Information in 2023.

SMSF market shifts

March 20, 2023

The amount of money contributed into SMSFs has increased year-on-year for the past five years straight, but it's still down two-thirds from what it was before the introduction the TBC in 2017.

Super disruptors have been disrupted

February 8, 2023

In the space of just a few years, almost all superannuation disruptor products built for young fund members have either collapsed, been shut down or failed.

Self-managed super fund asset shifts to 2022

November 7, 2022

SMSFs are no longer Australia’s premier superannuation segment, but they still hold $894 billion on behalf of 1.1 million members through 605,470 funds.

Retirees pay more in superannuation fees

October 13, 2022

Most retirees will pay more in fees during retirement than they would during all the years they were in their accumulation phase.

International equities indexing outperforms

July 13, 2022

Indexed international equities options have performed 6.4% better than actively managed options over five years.

2022 ESG Leader Super funds announced

June 29, 2022

Thirty-two superannuation funds have received Rainmaker Information’s ESG Leader Rating, which has been awarded for the first time.

Australian retirees now prefer not for profit super

May 24, 2022

Australian retirees used to favour retail superannuation funds. Not anymore. Retirees have now shifted their allegiance to not for profit funds.

Style matters when choosing a super fund

May 16, 2022

Investment style had a significant effect on the returns achieved by international equities super options in the months of January and February 2022.

2022 AAA Super Products announced

March 17, 2022

200 superannuation products received a AAA Quality Rating for best practice investment performance, fees, insurance, operations and extra services.

2021 superannuation, ASX and housing returns

February 2, 2022

Australia's share market finished the year up 17%, dragging super funds to a 15% return. Homeowners saw the value of their properties jump more than 20%.

Super fund influence over the ASX is falling

December 10, 2021

ASX market capitalisation owned by Australia's superannuation funds fell from 39% to 36% in the past four years up to 30 June 2021.

Super fund fees fall to 1%

October 19, 2021

Average super fund fees continue to fall, dropping 1% during the 2020/21 financial year. Total fees paid by Australians is still below $30 billion.

Should the Future Fund run default super?

September 16, 2021

With politicians renewing their push for the Future Fund to offer a default MySuper product, would make super fund members better off?

Big super funds squeezing out competition

August 23, 2021

A wave of super fund mergers is seeing the number of funds in Australia contract at its fastest rate in years.

Best superannuation returns in 34 years

July 8, 2021

Australian superannuation funds delivered their best financial year returns in 34 years, thanks to strong performance in equities and listed property.

Best super fund returns in 15 years

May 31, 2021

Superannuation funds post best return in 15 years. The Rainmaker MySuper Index returned 20% in the 12 months ending March 2021.

Australia's ESG superannuation funds

April 21, 2021

Australian superannuation funds that follow environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles manage over $1.6 trillion. View the top ESG funds.

2021 AAA Super Products announced

March 19, 2021

Almost 200 superannuation products have been rated AAA as part of Rainmaker Information's annual fund quality assessment.

Women don't own a fair share of super

March 8, 2021

Women make up 50% of millennial superannuation accounts, yet their account balances represent only 43% of total superannuation money.

Lifecycle MySuper underperformance

February 4, 2021

Being a member of a lifecycle MySuper product throughout a member's working life could reduce their potential retirement savings by 23% at age 70.

Time to call out super fund underperformance

January 4, 2021

Rainmaker's 2020 Superannuation Benchmarking Report revealed that across several major asset classes, super funds continues to struggle to match indexes.

QSuper best value super fund for young people

November 23, 2020

QSuper has emerged as Australia's best value superannuation fund for young people, according to the latest Superannuation Benchmarking report released by Rainmaker Information.

Asset consultant market share 2020

November 2, 2020

Asset consultants JANA, Frontier and Willis Towers Watson have maintained a consistent market share, as more super funds internalise investments.

Superannuation fee revenue declines

October 20, 2020

Total superannuation fees paid by Australia's 13 million super fund members in 2019-20 have fallen to an industry-wide average of just 1.04%.

Fees drop after super mergers

September 7, 2020

Superannuation mergers have led to a 20% decrease in fees for members. In all 11 of the traditional mergers the more expensive fund's fees lowered.

Superannuation's $3 trillion COVID cost

July 24, 2020

COVID-19 will cost Australia's superannuation industry $3 trillion in foregone growth by 2040.

Super almost breaks even in FY 2020

July 21, 2020

Superannuation has performed relatively well through COVID. MySuper delivered -0.7% p.a. over one year and 5.0% p.a. over three-years to 30 June.

Superannuation weathering the COVID-19 crisis

June 5, 2020

Australia's superannuation savings has withstood the COVID-19 financial crisis so far, falling just 0.3% in the 12 months to 31 March 2020, while bolstering cash reserves.

Super funds bounce back in April

May 11, 2020

Superannuation returns bounced-back in April delivering +2.2% to post their best monthly return since June last year, according to research from Rainmaker Information.

2020 AAA Super Products announced

April 30, 2020

A total of 201 of Australia's leading superannuation products from a field of more than 600 have been awarded a SelectingSuper AAA Quality rating in a recent industry product assessment.

COVID-19: SMSFs set to outperform

March 20, 2020

SMSFs may avoid the full brunt of COVID-19's impact on financial markets, thanks to higher than average exposures to cash and low-volatility assets.

Gender-diverse teams outperform

March 6, 2020

Super funds with a higher than average proportion of women in leadership positions out-performed male-dominated funds by 0.6% p.a. over three years.

Super fees fall for first time in six years

October 15, 2019

Gross superannuation fees have fallen for the first time in six years, down to $32 billion. Super fund members in Australia are now paying 1.1% in fees on average.

HESTA leads risk-adjusted MySuper products

October 1, 2019

Australia's best risk-adjusted MySuper products to 30 June 2019 are HESTA, Hostplus, CBus, Media Super and NGS Super.

No correlation between MySuper risk and returns

July 9, 2019

Superannuation products need to be assessed individually to see whether they are achieving their risk-adjusted investment objectives for members.

Super funds could own more than half the ASX

May 17, 2019

Super funds in Australia hold $700 billion in ASX-listed Australian equities and could control more than half of the ASX within 15 years.

Women in leadership can add $55,000 to your super

March 7, 2019

Superannuation funds with higher female representation on their boards and in their leadership teams achieve greater returns for their members.

Individual & Group Risk Inflows For the year to December 2024

May 16, 2025

Total Risk Market Inflows down 1.5% to $18.1 billion. Inflows into the Lump Sum sub-market posted a fall of 2.9% over the past year, with mixed results amongst leading companies.

Death & TPD claims in super

May 1, 2025

43,000 claims were filed for death & TPD in the 12 months to June 2024 through group insurance in super. Of the total claims, 69% were accepted by the insurers, while only 6% of claims were declined.

2024 risk premium inflows

November 18, 2024

Total risk market inflows were down a marginal 0.6% over the year to June 2024, decreasing from $18.3 billion to $18.2 billion.

Life Insurance Risk Premium Inflows and Sales

July 8, 2024

During 2023 Life Insurance Risk Inflows remained virtually unchanged to total $18.1 billion, according to research from Rainmaker Information.

Risk Market Inflows rise 1.1%

February 16, 2024

Insurance risk market inflows rose slightly by 1.1% over the 2023 calendar year, from $18.0 billion to $18.2 billion.

Media

In the media

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Webinar 2025: The year in wealth management

Join Rainmaker Information’s team to dissect the year that was and look ahead to how industry trends will shape wealth management in 2026 and beyond.

In the media

Rainmaker's array of research and commentary is published through numerous media outlets.

Webinar 2025: The year in wealth management

Join Rainmaker Information’s team to dissect the year that was and look ahead to how industry trends will shape wealth management in 2026 and beyond.

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