Latest research from nabtrade and the SMSF Association shows that self-managed super fund trustees have high expectations of achieving self-sufficiency in retirement.

According to the Intimate with Self Managed Superannuation Report, to be released in full later this month, nearly twice as many SMSF trustees are confident they will achieve their desired income in retirement, despite having expectations nearly 20% higher than non-SMSF trustees.

The research, prepared for nabtrade and the SMSF Association (formerly SPAA) by Core Data, shows that nearly 70% of SMSF trustees are confident they will achieve their desired income of $95,500pa in retirement.

This contrasts with non-SMSF trustees, of whom only 35% are confident they will achieve their desired income of $80,000pa.

NAB Head of SMSF Solutions, Gemma Dale, said SMSF trustees taking an active role in managing their savings helps to ensure their continued confidence in how their retirement is shaping up.

“As we’ve seen over the last decade, SMSFs are not a flash in the pan. SMSF trustees are motivated to take control of their retirement savings, and are making well informed investment choices to ensure they achieve the income they want in retirement,” Ms Dale said.

“As these preliminary findings show, SMSF trustees continue to show a preference for direct investment and are looking for prudent ways to manage risk in uncertain times.

“While Australian shares and cash continue to dominate portfolios, low interest rates are driving interest in asset classes outside of cash, such as fixed interest and international shares.”

SMF Association CEO Andrea Slattery said another interesting findings to come out of the report was the focus on risk by those trustees who understand their SMSF investment strategy.

“The most commonly cited factors in developing the strategy are the overall risk of the portfolio (65.8 per cent), diversification of the fund’s investments (63.4 per cent) and the risk of the fund’s investments (61.6 per cent),” Ms Slattery said.

“The prevailing attitude of de-risking is evident among trustees who allocate at least 10 per cent of their SMSF to cash, the asset class that is universally perceived as less risky.”

A copy of the initial report can be found at www.nabtrade.com.au/insights-and-ideas/latest