Double whammy for super funds

Date Published : Friday, February 08, 2008

Some Australians could be more than $13,000 out of pocket due to recent market fluctuations hitting their superannuation funds.

As a result of recent uncertain times, many workers have seen their returns on super funds diminish, with a number of companies going to the wall amid the financial crisis.

However, workers with companies which do go bankrupt may be hit twice, as they may well not have received any superannuation guarantee payments for the best part of a year.

According to Andrew Needham, director of business recovery at HLB Mann Judd, some employers can go up to a year without making compulsory super payments to employees before the Australian Taxation Office catches up with them, the Australian reports.

Therefore, a worker on a salary of $150,000 could be over $13,000 out of pocket if the employer failed to make contributions in the last 12 months before the company closed.

In Australia, employers must make superannuation contributions to the employees' designated fund at least every three months.

The superannuation contributions are invested over the period of the employees' working life and the sum of compulsory and voluntary contributions, plus earnings, less taxes and fees is paid to the person when they choose to retire. The sum most people receive is predominantly made up of compulsory employer contributions.

As a result, some workers may find they have less for retirement than first thought.

For those affected by company closures, the advice is to check with the administrator or previous employers on their financial situation in the last year.

Australian savings accounts compared and reviewed.
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