SMSFs outperform APRA-regulated funds in market downturn: Research

University of Adelaide research has found that SMSFs outperformed ARPA-regulated super funds in a period of market downturns.  

The research, done by the university’s International Centre for Financial Services and commissioned by SMSF Association, found that in the FY22, the median SMSF return dropped 1 per cent compared with the median APRA fund which fell 5.1 per cent.  

The 4.1 percentage point difference was the largest in the six years this research project has been conducted. 

Based on 394,000 SMSFs (67 per cent of all SMSFs), the research also highlights that 38 per cent of SMSFs had positive returns in FY22 compared with less than 5 per cent of APRA funds.