When to rethink your super

It's probably the longest term investment you'll make. At different times in your life, you will need to review your decisions about how your super is invested. You don't have to be stuck with decisions you made years ago.

As your life changes, your super can too

Starting a job	Starting a family	Taking out insurance	Changing partner	Changing jobs	Reviewing your needs	Retiring

In all the excitement of landing your first full-time job, retirement seems a long way away. But this is the time when your employer may ask you to make choices about what type of fund you want your contributions to go into. You will need to decide what kind of investment strategy you want. This is a key time to seek professional financial advice.

If you get married or have children, think about who you would like to nominate as beneficiaries. Most funds offer you the ability to nominate beneficiaries to receive your super should you die.

You can also set up a super account for your spouse, into which you can both contribute. This may offer some tax benefits. You can find out how to nominate a beneficiary in our 'Investment info' area.

Ensuring financial stability for you or your family in case of illness, injury or death is an important part of your investment strategy. Take some time to check out the insurance benefits available if you bundle your insurance through your super fund.

Bundling your insurance

Life takes unexpected turns. If you separate or your partner dies, you may need to change the beneficiaries of your super. You may also need to split your super with an ex-spouse. Make sure your details stay up to date with your situation.

What happens to your super if something happens to you?

Most of us change jobs a number of times. New rules mean you may have a choice about the fund in which you hold your super. If you wish to change funds, you may need to weigh up potential gains against other factors such as fees, insurance and investment options.

What should you look for in a super fund?

You can review your needs at any time.

For example, you may decide to sacrifice some of your salary to boost your super investment.

Or you may change your mind about the level of risk you feel comfortable with. This may be a time to review your super investment strategy.

How do investment options compare?

As you near retirement, all the super contributions you've made over the years are about to pay off.

This is a critical time to seek financial advice.

The decisions you make will have a direct impact on your lifestyle in retirement.

What type of retirement income can you choose?

Find out more about investment

Find a financial adviser using BT's Adviser Referral Program.
Learn about BT's super funds.