#7. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil chat with Marnie Ryan, head of product innovation and enablement at AP+ (formerly NPP Australia). We cover:

• NPP and Superannuation: From 1 July 2026, funds must accept real-time payments via the New Payments Platform (NPP)—mandatory, and separate from Payday Super legislation.
• Modernising Payments: Transition away from BECS is set for 2030. Super funds need to get ready to shift from batched, delayed payments to instant, always-on transactions.
• Reconciliation Revolution: NPP upgrades solve historic problems with payment reference numbers, making reconciliation faster and easier—especially important for super contributions.
• Pilot Programs in Action: Leading funds and clearinghouses are already piloting real-time payments, so the future is now.
• Fraud and Security: New features like confirmation of payee and PayID add extra layers of trust and validation for fund rollovers and member withdrawals.
• Getting Ready: Execs should engage tech, ops, and employer services teams now. Start talking to your bank and payment partners to understand your platform readiness.
• Member Experience: Real-time payments create new member expectations. Faster clearing and instant notifications can improve trust and encourage members to check contributions more often.
• Innovation Pipeline: Expect more streamlined experiences with products like PayTo, reducing manual entry and making top-ups or pension drawdowns seamless—24/7, even at year-end crunch time.

Key takeaway: Don’t wait for legislation—engage with your banking and payment providers now to be NPP-ready before the 2026 deadline.

#6. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil Benson break down the latest news and debates in the superannuation sector. We cover:

• Legislative inaction: Despite big talk from government and industry summits, there’s little movement yet on significant superannuation or tax reforms.
• Super funds vs. ATO: HESTA and ART are taking legal action against the ATO over imputation credits, fighting for millions owed to members and highlighting rare but bold fund challenges to regulators.
• Performance test wrap-up: All 54 MySuper products passed this year, signaling improved standards, but some products—especially trustee-directed ones—remain borderline or repeatedly fail.
• Product closures and member impact: Funds are reviewing and closing underperforming or underutilized investment options, which can be challenging for members accustomed to “set and forget” strategies.
• Housing investment hurdles: Discussion on the role of super funds in addressing the housing crisis; fund appetite tempered by regulatory barriers and the lack of collaborative investment pathways with government and global partners.
• Retirement income guidance: Treasury’s draft guidance pushes funds to segment retired cohorts, but Sarah questions the practicality when funds lack access to broader financial data like Centrelink or home ownership.
• Annuities debate: Despite financial wellness benefits, annuities have an image problem and low demand, with Sarah arguing sales challenges outweigh consumer appetite, while Neil remains optimistic for innovation.
• Data-driven advice barriers: Funds can’t access enough external data to offer holistic advice; calls for leveraging consumer data rights and streamlining processes to improve member outcomes and reduce advice costs.
• Rethinking member engagement: The importance of designing processes that help customers provide funds with the right information, enabling more effective support and digital solutions.
• Upcoming events: Recommendations for FSC’s retirement conference, member engagement forums, and the ASFA conference on the Gold Coast.

This episode unpacks systemic friction points in super—from regulatory reform and investor confidence to practical hurdles in retirement solutions and member support.

#5. Co-hosts Sarah Penn and Neil Benson chat with Heather Gray, Lead Obudsman, Superannuation at Australian Financial Complaints Authority. We cover:

• Complaints as Feedback: Complaints are valuable for identifying service improvement areas, even though funds aim to minimize them.
• Drop in Insurance Delay Complaints: There has been a notable reduction (39%) in complaints about delays in insurance claims within super funds, indicating successful improvements.
• Importance of Communication: Clear and timely communication—especially during incidents like cyber attacks—is critical in maintaining trust and managing complaints.
• Systemic Issues vs. Human Error: Sarah is surprised to learn that maybe a high proportion of human error-caused complaints is actually right!
• Data Usage: Complaint data is transparent and shared with trustees, allowing for benchmarking and industry-wide improvement.
• Rising Member Expectations: Members now expect higher service standards from funds, paralleling experiences in other industries.
• Clarity in Correspondence: Superannuation communications need to be clear, tailored, and actionable to prevent confusion and reduce complaints.