Just eight of 45 assessed superannuation funds have been awarded the 2026 Epic Retirement Tick, an industry benchmark designed to identify which funds best support their members through retirement. The result — a pass rate of less than one in five — underscores the significant gap between what retirees need and what the broader super industry currently delivers.

The Epic Retirement Tick is backed by Chant West, one of Australia's leading superannuation research and ratings agencies. To earn the recognition for the 2026/2027 financial year, funds were required to meet at least 14 of 20 support criteria — a threshold raised from 12 out of 18 in the previous year's assessment.

What the Retirement Tick Actually Measures

The assessment evaluates funds across several key dimensions: investment performance, fee competitiveness, product innovation, and the comprehensiveness of member services and financial advice. The 2026 framework also introduced tougher requirements in digital service delivery, complaints management, and cybersecurity protections.

Crucially, funds were assessed not just on whether they offered certain products, but on whether members were actually using them. Lifetime income options such as annuities, for example, were evaluated on real member take-up rates — not simply their availability.

A new requirement was also introduced this year: funds must have no outstanding regulatory enforcement actions against them to qualify.

Epic Retirement Institute founder Bec Wilson was clear that the tick is not a competitive ranking. "The Tick is not a rating, ranking or recommendation of a super fund or financial product. There's no first place, second place or 'best fund'," she said. Rather, it is intended to help Australians become more informed about what their fund can offer as they approach and move through retirement.

Which Funds Were Recognised — and What Set Them Apart

Now in its second year, the Epic Retirement Tick was awarded to three new funds in addition to the six recognised previously — noting that TelstraSuper has since merged with Aware Super. The new additions are AMP, Colonial, and Vision Super.

Several funds were highlighted for standout features across specific criteria:

  • AMP, ART, Aware Super, Hostplus, and Vision Super allow pension members to request ad-hoc payments and receive funds the same day via immediate OSKO transfers.
  • ART, AMP, and UniSuper offer dedicated lifetime income products such as annuities, giving members access to guaranteed retirement income streams.

Chant West general manager Ian Fryer noted that earning the tick now requires genuine member engagement — not just a strong product suite. Funds offering specialised retirement products could no longer coast on availability alone; demonstrated usage by members was part of the equation.

Why Retirement Support Has Never Mattered More

The push for stronger fund accountability comes at a critical moment for millions of Australians. According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, a single homeowner needs around $630,000 in super to fund a comfortable retirement, while a couple requires approximately $730,000.

The reality, however, is starkly different. Australian Taxation Office data show the median superannuation balance for Australians aged 60 to 64 sits at just over $200,000 — meaning most retirees must lean heavily on fund advice, tax strategies, and government pension integration to make their savings last.

"Australians have spent decades building their super," Wilson said. "As they reach retirement, they deserve to understand what their fund can actually do to support them through the years ahead."

If you're weighing up retirement-related costs more broadly, it's worth understanding how seemingly attractive entry points can carry hidden risks — as explored in our coverage of retirement village costs and why the cheapest entry price could leave you worse off. And for those monitoring how political decisions shape the sector, our reporting on calls to keep politics out of Australia's $4.5 trillion super pool offers useful context.