Self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees are flocking online to network with other trustees and advisers, check their asset allocation and learn more about investments, according to statistics released by AMP Capital.
The number of members of AMP Capital’s online SMSF community, which was launched in 2015, has doubled to 600 during 2016. The SMSF Community is a place for people interested in SMSFs, either trustees or professionals, to build connections, share ideas and experiences. Popular topics this year have included how to gain long-term returns via equities, what the federal budget means for SMSF trustees, tax and regulation, and how to diversify a portfolio in a low interest-rate environment.
AMP Capital’s online asset allocation tool, Pulse, which allows SMSF trustees to compare their asset mix to other trustees and industry experts, has attracted nearly 3,500 unique users since its launch in February.
Meanwhile, subscribers to AMP Capital’s weekly SMSF newsletter have increased 50 per cent year on year, there has been a 485 per cent increase in the number of people downloading AMP Capital’s investment white papers, and more than 200,000 unique visits to AMP Capital’s online SMSF Suite from January to August 2016.
AMP Capital Head of SMSF and Self-Directed Wealth Tim Keegan said: “We’re passionate about innovation at AMP Capital and have invested heavily in our website and online tools since 2014. This year, there has been a spike in the level of engagement SMSF trustees are seeking with us on a digital platform. We’re also seeing more adviser engagement online as well.
“The more information SMSF trustees receive, the more they want and they are becoming voracious consumers of information online, something we believe is linked with their desire for control of their retirement portfolio. We have also seen an increase in the number of customers and advisers attending webinars where they get to engage with the managers investing their and their clients’ money. Infrastructure and regulatory webinars have been particularly well patronised as people want to better understand this growing asset class and the complex regulatory environment.”
Outside of the digital space, Mr Keegan identified increased awareness and use of exchange traded managed funds by SMSF trustees and continued interest in real assets (infrastructure and property) as other trends to look out for in the SMSF market in 2017.
“With interest rates still at historic lows, it’s clear the lower-for-longer environment for investment returns isn’t going to change any time soon. Trustees are subsequently looking for new asset classes to invest in to give them the returns they need to meet their goals. In 2016, trustees have flocked to commercial property and infrastructure, with flows into the AMP Capital Wholesale Australian Property Fund and the AMP Capital Core Infrastructure Fund increasing year on year 94 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively,” Mr Keegan said.
“Australia has also experienced significant growth in exchange traded funds during the last five years and the next frontier is their managed fund equivalents. Exchange traded managed funds, which we launched this year in alliance with BetaShares, replicate the investment strategies of existing AMP Capital managed funds but are able to be bought and sold during the trading day like any share on the Australian Securities Exchange. We expect greater interest in these funds next year as trustees and advisers learn how to use them in a balanced portfolio.”
