Investment options overview

The Fire and Emergency Services Superannuation Fund (FES Super) offers six investment options to all members with an Accumulation Account. This means you can take an active role in the growth of your retirement savings and select an investment option (or options) to suit your personal approach towards investment risk and return.

If you have investments outside FES Super, you can choose an investment option for your superannuation that fits in with your overall investment savings strategy.

As Defined Benefit calculations are based on membership period and final average salary and are not subject to investment returns, if you hold a Defined Benefit account, you are not able to direct your savings to a particular investment option. However, if you also make voluntary contributions, or have transferred other money into FES Super, that money will be invested in an Accumulation Account for you where you can choose an investment option (or options) to suit your needs.

As everyone’s financial situation is different, the investment option you choose should be determined with your personal circumstances in mind.

When you are making a decision about how you want your retirement savings invested, there are a number of things to think about, including:

  • your savings goals;

  • the number of years your savings will be invested – both during and after your working life; and

  • how comfortable you feel about investment risks.

You can also invest your existing account balance in one or more investment options and select a different investment option for all your future contributions. For example, you can choose to have your existing accumulation account invested 80% in the Smoothed Option and 20% in the Cash Option. You can then choose to have your future additional voluntary contributions invested 100% in the Australian Share Option.

The Smoothed Option is FES Super’s default investment option, which means that your super will be invested in this option unless you choose a different option.