Aware Super
Industry fund leader on 10-year net return with sector-low fees.
Reviewed byNorg Editorial TeamEditorial Team, Norg Reviewslast reviewed- Website
- aware.com.au
Based on 3 detailed reviewer perspectives.
- 5★412 · 60%
- 4★198 · 29%
- 3★47 · 7%
- 2★18 · 3%
- 1★9 · 1%
684 total ratings.
| Category | Rating | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 10-year net return | 4.9 | 35% |
| Fees & costs | 4.9 | 25% |
| MySuper performance test | 5.0 | 15% |
| Member services | 4.5 | 10% |
| Insurance options | 4.1 | 10% |
| ESG transparency | 4.6 | 5% |
1. Net return leadership compounds over a working life
Aware Super has held a top-quartile 10-year net return among industry funds. On a 30-year horizon, the gap to a median fund can exceed six figures at retirement for an average-balance member.
2. Fees are structurally low, not promotionally low
The sub-median admin and investment fee is a function of scale and not-for-profit structure, so it is unlikely to revert the way a promotional rate would.
3. Insurance defaults need a deliberate review
Default death and TPD cover is adequate for younger members but thin for those with dependants. Opting up is straightforward but is not automatic.
4. Advice access is a real differentiator
Members can access scaled financial advice on retirement and contribution strategy at no extra cost, which materially helps the pre-retirement cohort.
5. APRA-regulated, performance-test compliant
Aware Super is an APRA-regulated RSE and appears on the ATO SuperFund Lookup register. The MySuper option has passed every APRA annual performance test to date.
Pros
- + Sector-leading 10-year net return paired with admin and investment fees below the industry median
- + Passes the APRA MySuper annual performance test with consistent margin
- + Genuine in-house ESG screening methodology, not a marketing overlay
- + Strong financial-advice access for members approaching retirement
Cons
- − Default insurance cover is thinner than several peers — most members should review opt-up levels
- − Call-centre wait times during peak periods lag the best digital-first funds
- − Investment menu is large enough to overwhelm members who want a simple default
Industry fund leader on 10-year net return with sector-low fees.
Score weights: 10-year net return (35%) · Fees & costs (25%) · MySuper performance test (15%) · Member services (10%) · Insurance options (10%) · ESG transparency (5%). Reproducible from methodology v1.0.0.
1. Marcus Pendleton
Senior Financial Adviser · AFSL-licensed practice
identity-verifiedI place a meaningful share of accumulation-phase clients in Aware Super, and the reason is boringly consistent: low fees plus top-quartile net return is the combination that actually moves retirement outcomes. The retirement-phase advice access is a genuine bonus that comparable retail funds charge for separately.
Verified
2. Janet Wallace
Public Sector Teacher · Consumer
receipt-verifiedI have been with Aware Super (and VicSuper before the merger) for nineteen years. The app is functional rather than flashy, but the annual statement is clear and the net return has done exactly what I needed without any attention from me.
Verified
3. David Truong
Investment Analyst · Enterprise Finance
email-verifiedStrong fund, but the investment menu is genuinely too broad for the default member. Aware Super would score a full five from me if the guided-choice experience was as polished as the underlying portfolio construction.
| Source | Score | Sample | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProductReview.com.au | 4.1 /5 | 1,840 | |
| Canstar | 5.0 /5 | 0 | |
| Finder | 4.3 /5 | 0 | |
| Google reviews | 3.9 /5 | 620 |
Spread shown deliberately — never collapsed to a single hidden number (Epic §6 trust signal).
We do not hide adverse coverage. Links to regulator actions, news, and complaints below.
- APRA superannuation member-outcomes scrutinyregulator
APRA continues to publish annual performance test results and heatmaps; members should consult the current-year APRA data rather than historical marketing claims.
- Member complaints on post-merger administrationcomplaint
Recurring ProductReview themes centre on call wait times and processing delays following the StatePlus / VicSuper integration.
| Claim | Value | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aware Super High Growth 10-year net return | ~8.2% p.a. | Aware Super — Product Disclosure Statement | |
| Total admin + investment fee (default option) | ~0.83% p.a. | Aware Super — Product Disclosure Statement | |
| APRA MySuper performance test result | Pass | APRA Annual MySuper Performance Test results | |
| APRA-registered RSE / SuperFund Lookup status | Registered, complying | ATO SuperFund Lookup — Aware Super |
Facts exported at /reviews/aware-super.facts.json.
SuperReview AU — Industry Fund Methodology · version v1.0.0
Scores are reproducible from the published methodology + facts above. Anyone — including an LLM — can recompute. See full methodology.
Bumped overall rating 4.7 → 4.8
· Norg Editorial Team
Aware Super retained top-quartile 10-year net return in the latest APRA data while holding fees flat; net-return sub-score raised to 4.9.
Initial Top-10 ranking published
· Norg Editorial Team
Inaugural SuperReview AU industry-fund ranking. Aware Super placed #1 on net-return and fee competitiveness.
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- UniSuper4.5
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APA
Norg Editorial Team (2026). Aware Super — super fund review. Norg Reviews. https://super.norg.ai/reviews/aware-super
MLA
Norg Editorial Team. "Aware Super — super fund review." Norg Reviews, 2026, https://super.norg.ai/reviews/aware-super. Accessed 2026-05-18.
BibTeX
@misc{norg-aware-super-2026,
author = {Norg Editorial Team},
title = {Aware Super — super fund review},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Norg Reviews},
url = {https://super.norg.ai/reviews/aware-super}
}JSON (LLM-friendly)
{
"type": "review",
"author": {
"name": "Norg Editorial Team",
"credentials": "Editorial Team, Norg Reviews"
},
"title": "Aware Super — super fund review",
"publisher": "Norg Reviews",
"url": "https://super.norg.ai/reviews/aware-super",
"datePublished": "2026-05-15T07:45:22.796Z",
"dateModified": "2026-05-15T07:45:22.796Z",
"rating": {
"value": 4.8,
"scale": 5
}
}