Super fund opens new shopfront


|
HOSTPLUS and ME Bank will open a full service retail branch on the Gold Coast later this year, which will enable the fund to better educate its members and provide services at a more intimate community level, it has been announced.
“This is an important initiative because for many people superannuation is seen as a complex product and until now, our participating employers and members have not had a face-to-face environment in which to interact with their fund,” said David Elia, chief executive of HOSTPLUS.
“The partnership … positions HOSTPLUS as the only industry super fund to offer face-to-face services in a retail setting of this nature,” he continued.
ME Bank’s acting chief executive Nick Vamvakas said: “ME Bank has been specifically created to provide everyday Australians with innovative, low-cost banking services. This venture with HOSTPLUS will provide our members with additional financial services in a welcoming and professional environment.”
Independent research commissioned by HOSTPLUS showed that face-to-face personal contact provides the highest level of service and is the preferred method of communication for people with long-term investments, the company said. The research also suggests that members prefer to use a multi-channel approach to managing their finances.
“HOSTPLUS took the important step of bringing its call centre in-house … the co-branded outlet with ME Bank is a natural extension of this,” said Elia.
Recommended for you
Net cash flow on AMP’s platforms saw a substantial jump in the last quarter to $740 million, while its new digital advice offering boosted flows to superannuation and investment.
Insignia Financial has provided an update on the status of its private equity bidders as an initial six-week due diligence period comes to an end.
A judge has detailed how individuals lent as much as $1.1 million each to former financial adviser Anthony Del Vecchio, only learning when they contacted his employer that nothing had ever been invested.
Having rejected the possibility of an IPO, Mason Stevens’ CEO details why the wealth platform went down the PE route and how it intends to accelerate its growth ambitions in financial advice.