Your investment return is how your money grows – your ‘profit’ over the years. Funds with a history of strong, long-term investment performance – after fees and taxes have been taken out – can result in more money in your account. Hostplus’ Balanced (MySuper) option, where most of our members are invested, is ranked the number one option over rolling 10 and 20-year periods.2
Hostplus
Media Team
7 min read
Updated 28 Feb 2025
Net benefit is the simplest, most powerful way to measure how much value your superannuation fund offers. It’s the investment return you receive on your savings after all fees and costs have been taken out.
Hostplus' Balanced option ranks number one for net benefit out of the 10 biggest not-for-profit funds over 15 years.1
The two main factors that influence your account balance are the returns you earn on your investments, and the fees charged to your account. So funds that charge low fees and have a history of delivering strong investment returns offer the highest net benefit.
How can investment returns impact your savings?
What kind of fees and costs can affect your super balance?
There are two main types of fees your super fund might charge:
- Administration fees
These are what super funds charge for managing your account. At Hostplus, members pay a low administration fee – one of the lowest of any MySuper product in Australia.3
- Investment fees
These are how much you pay to have your money invested. At Hostplus, your investment fees will vary, depending on the investment option you’ve chosen. It’s important to remember that the lowest investment fee doesn’t always mean it's the best option for you. Some investment options might have higher fees but may have delivered high investment returns for members, even after the fees have been paid. More details about Hostplus’ investment options and fees are available in our Fees and costs page and PDS.
Your overall net benefit
In combination, fees and investment returns make a big difference to your retirement savings. A fund that charges low fees may not necessarily deliver high returns on your investments. On the other hand, a fund with high investment returns might not offer low fees. So it’s important to do your research, and to find a fund that delivers on the whole package, not just fees or investment returns.
How does Hostplus compare?
Rather than having to do all this research yourself, third-party ratings agencies such as SuperRatings assess this information for us.
Net benefit outcomes for Hostplus members
Based on a starting income of $50,000 and a starting super balance of $50,000, a Hostplus member in our default Balanced (MySuper) option is $27,316 better off than the average not-for-profit super fund member over the past 15 years. And, is $32,152 better off when looking at the average of all other balanced options over the same period.1
15-year net benefit for members of the 10 biggest not-for-profit funds
Over the same time period, Hostplus' Balanced option ranks number one for net benefit out of the 10 biggest not-for-profit funds over 15 years.1
We combine low administration fees, competitive investment costs and impressive long-term performance.4 That's a plus.
Ultimately, it’s the combination of these three elements – the net benefit - that has the greatest impact on your super balance. That’s why it’s so important to consider the fees, costs and performance when comparing super funds. At Hostplus, we work hard to maximise the net benefit for members, so you can enjoy your best possible retirement.
The information in this article is correct as at time of publication.
1. Comparisons modelled by SuperRatings, commissioned by Hostplus. The outcome shows the average difference in 'net benefit', a measure of past investment returns after administration and investment fees and costs, transaction costs, and taxes have been taken out. The results compare the Hostplus Balanced (MySuper) investment option with comparable balanced options , for historical periods and with 15-year data available to 31 December 2024. Other fees and costs may also apply. Outcomes vary between individual funds. Refer to hostplus.com.au/assumptions for more details. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.
2. Hostplus Balanced (MySuper) investment option compared to the SuperRatings Accumulation Fund Crediting Rate Survey – SR50 Balanced (60-76) Index at 31 December 2024. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
3. Other fees and costs apply. Refer to the PDS for more information, available at hostplus.com.au/pds. Hostplus Balanced (MySuper) investment option compared to SuperRatings fee data for public offer MySuper products extracted from SMART platform on 21 January 2025. Comparison is based on the total administration fees and costs assuming a $50k account balance.
4. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.