A quarter of Australians have never engaged with their super fund – and almost half only check in once or twice a year – according to new research from AMP.
The findings, reveal that 27% of Australians either don’t know who their super provider is or have never interacted with them.
The fresh insights shed light on why AMP’s recently released Retirement Confidence Pulse score is just 50 out of 100.
Unaware of help
Only one in ten Australians know what “intra-fund advice” is – dropping to just 7% among those aged 50 to 64 – despite the majority saying they would use it if they knew it existed.
Intra-fund advice is provided by leading super funds to members at no extra cost to help them optimise their super within the fund, for example, with contribution, investment and transition-to-retirement strategies.
Julie Slapp, AMP Super’s Director of Growth and Customer Solutions, said:
“Too many Australians are disengaged with their super and unaware of the significant help available –support that could transform their quality of life in retirement,”
“Small steps – like checking your fund details or talking to your provider – can build confidence and unlock the full benefits of compounding returns.”
“We know that as little as an extra $20 a week put into super can grow to ~$98k over 30 years through compounding, yet more than half of Aussies under 40 don’t understand the concept.”
“Programs such as AMP Rewards, also make it easy to turn spare change into super savings that compound over time.”
“We also strongly encourage Australians to take full advantage of intra-fund and digital financial advice, often provided at no extra cost by super funds – the guidance can be transformational.”
Generational silence on money
The research also shows that financial conversations are rarely passed down through families. More than four in five Australians over 50 said their parents never discussed or sharedlearnings about savings or retirement.
This “generational silence” around money may be limiting confidence and understanding among younger Australians.
“We know that money is often, and understandably, a taboo topic within families,” Ms Slapp said. “But shared learnings – especially from those already in retirement – can make a huge difference to future financial wellbeing.”
The barriers:
Cost remains the top barrier to seeking advice, even though intra-fund advice is offered for noadditional cost. The research also found that:
Low engagement: 27% never engage with their super provider; 44% only once or twice a year. Only 10% of Australians aged 50+ started regularly checking their super balance in their 20s.
Untapped support: 70% would use intra-fund advice if they knew it was available.
Late start: One in three Australians aged 50–64 wish they’d started saving earlier. For those under 50, nearly 2 in 5 wished they’d started thinking about their retirement in their 20s.
Public mandate: 94% want financial literacy taught in schools.
Three simple steps to get started:
- Log in and check your fund. Know your provider, check your investment mix, andconsolidate accounts if needed.
- Ask about intra-fund advice. Access your fund’s phone-based advice or digital financial advice which is now offered by leading funds.
- Start money conversations at home. Use your annual statement as a springboard to talk about retirement and super with the family.
“It takes hardly any time to review your fund online – and that small step could make a meaningful difference to your retirement outcome,” Ms Slapp said.
About the research
The research is based on AMP commissioned research of 2,000 Australians by independent research company, Dynata in July 2025.