Port Fairy residents top region for super balances

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia has revealed the average superannuation balance for residents in the seaside village is $228,547.

That was almost $60,000 higher than the average Hamilton superannuation balance of $162,042.

Portland ($160,420), Port Campbell ($151,796) and Warrnambool ($149,363) rounded out the top five towns for superannuation balances.

Mortlake residents had the lowest average superannuation balance of $125,030, while Cobden residents ($136,541) were also among those likely to have a smaller nest egg.

Deputy chief executive officer at ASFA, Glen McCrea, said Australians should check their super balances before the end of the financial year.

Mr McCrea said a rise in the superannuation guarantee was only weeks away, with July 1 delivering a change to help Australians boost their retirement savings.

"The increase of the Superannuation Guarantee to 10.5 per cent and the removal of the minimum $450 earnings threshold for payment of super will help more people boost their super," he said.

Industry Super Australia chief executive officer Bernie Dean said if the increased super guarantee improvements progressed on schedule, it should make an enormous difference to young workers.

"Come July 1 the super guarantee will increase to 10.5 per cent on its way to 12 per cent by 2025 as promised by our political leaders," he said.

"These are staged, affordable increases that will make a huge difference to Australians' retirement savings.

"A 30-year-old on an average income will benefit by about $78,000 from the rate increasing from 10 per cent to 12 per cent."

Mr McCrea said superannuation was a long-term investment.

"The macro-economic news can be worrisome, with mentions of crisis, higher interest rates, slower growth and global volatility," he said.

"But superannuation is a decades-long financial instrument building individual Australians' superannuation and returns should be analysed over 10-year periods.

"The diversified long-term investment approach adopted by superannuation funds will allow members to weather the coming storm and continue to generate strong returns over the decades-long journey to retirement."

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