First Super: Industry super fund for the furniture, joinery, pulp, paper and timber industry

Individuals who choose First Super to handle their superannuation needs will find easy to understand investment options, tools to help in splitting contributions and rolling over funds, and products that will also see you through your retirement.

Carefully compare all of the features being offered by First Super to help you decide if they can give you the biggest super boost for each of your bucks.

A few, quick things you can learn about First Super

First Super is an industry super fund, catering to the furniture, joinery, pulp, paper and timber industries. Yet their investment options are still open to any Australian who is looking for convenience and flexibility for their superannuation funds.

Both individuals and employers are welcome to join and take advantage of the five different investment options available. There are also special accounts that are structured to ease you into retirement and take care of your needs once you have made it there.

What’s internet banking like for First Super?

First Super’s first online is a convenient tool for members who wish to keep track of their superannuation funds from the comfort of their own computer. You will need to register for this service, which will then allow you to:

• View and update your personal details.
• Locate and roll in any of your lost super accounts.
• Change or add beneficiaries.
• View your account transaction history and download it.
• Obtain a member’s benefit quote.
• View the details of your insurance options.
• See the progress of the investment choices you have made.
• Check and update your employer details.

This is a secure online platform that allows you full access to your super fund accounts so that you can be a part of managing their growth.

What super funds are offered by First Super?

First Super has super funds available for both the individual investor and employers. You are given a choice of five super funds to decide between with the option of mixing and matching your investment money to suit your needs.

• Shares Plus. Your riskiest choice in super funds, with Shares Plus your superannuation funds are concentrated in stock market shares. You will see some volatility with your investment over the course of time, but historically this option gives you the highest return on your money invested.
• Growth. The Growth option is a balance of various high risk investment options, where you still will see some volatility but the risk is slightly decreased due to the diversion of your investments.
• Balanced. This is First Super’s default option, and divides your superannuation funds among a variety of different investment types to lower your risk but still provide you with a healthy return over time.
• Conservative Balanced. As you approach retirement you can consider switching to this super fund. The risk is greatly reduced, but you will not see the high returns that you find with the other First Super products.
• Cash. Investing in cash is a defensive move for your superannuation funds. With this option you see slow growth of your money, but your risk of loss is minimal.

You should note that growth investments will typically outperform your defensive investments over time, but past performance is not an indication of how a super fund will perform in the future. Before deciding on which fund or funds you want to join, you need to consider how far off your retirement is, how much you have invested so far, and what your plans for the future are.

What pension accounts are offered by First Super?

It makes no difference if you choose to continue working once you have reached preservation age or if you stop working, with First Super you will find a pension account that suits your personal circumstance.

• Transition to Retirement. With this type of account you are permitted to ease into retirement rather than leaving the workforce immediately upon reaching preservation age. You can reduce your hours and use your super fund to supplement your income while still minimising your tax obligation. During this time you are also permitted to continue growing your super fund by contributing a portion of your salary into the account.
• Allocated Pension. Once you have completely left the Australian workforce you will be ready to start your Allocated Pension. You choose how much is withdrawn from your super fund and how often based on your own financial needs. You are also permitted lump sum withdrawals if you need to make a large purchase. With this account you will receive the optimal tax advantages for both your pension payments and any investment earnings.

First Super offers their accounts to members at competitive fees, including no fee for entry and affordable insurance options. How you invest now will make a huge difference in your quality of life when you retire. Take the time to compare various super funds before making a final decision to give your money the most benefit.

The art of effortless application process with First Super

Whether you are applying to join First Super as an individual member, employer, or pension member you can fill out an online form in order to begin.

All you will need to provide is your name, address, birthdate and email and First Super will send you the necessary documents to complete the application.

Before you submit the form you can also ask to have more information about the super funds sent to you, including a member product disclosure statement.