FSC and AIST release new tools for super funds


The Financial Services Council (FSC) and the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) have released new guidance tools for super funds aimed at helping them prepare their operational due diligence (ODD) reports for regulatory purposes.
The ODD framework would also be expected to help super funds monitor and assess the management of operational risk controls by fund managers.
The FSC’s new questionnaire, which would cover the provision of information to third parties, would also allow fund managers to respond in an easy way to super funds’ due diligence requests, while the AIST’s FAQ document is aimed at helping fund managers understand what information they were expected to provide to super funds.
The move came in response to the recent announcement by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), which stressed that ODD was fundamental to managing investment risk in superannuation and represented significant benefits for the industry.
AIST’s chief executive, Eva Scheerlinck, said: “The collective approach to ODD will save the industry – and ultimately super fund members – millions of dollars and lead to better quality outcomes.”
Recommended for you
Lonsec and SQM Research have highlighted manager selection as a crucial risk for financial advisers when it comes to private market investments, particularly due to the clear performance dispersion.
Macquarie Asset Management has indicated its desire to commit the fast-growing wealth business in Australia by divesting part of its public investment business to Japanese investment bank Nomura.
Australia’s “sophisticated” financial services industry is a magnet for offshore fund managers, according to a global firm.
The latest Morningstar asset manager survey believes ETF providers are likely to retain the market share they have gained from active managers.