Beneficiary Account
December 10 2024
Important update
As of 21 November 2024, we've changed the default investment option for Beneficiary Accounts and Accumulation Plan accounts from Balanced to a new option; Balanced Growth Managed. The relevant Product Disclosure Statements have been updated to reflect this change. Members with a Beneficiary Account and/or Accumulation Plan who were invested in the Balanced investment option by default, and who had not opted out of the change, have now been moved to the new default investment option.
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Thinking about retirement?
Not sure whether you should choose a Beneficiary Account, or an Accumulation Plan?
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The Beneficiary Account is available to ESSS Defined Benefit Fund members to transfer an untaxed benefit. The Beneficiary Account can receive rollovers (or transfers in), but cannot accept any other contributions (except for Government co-contributions).
How your Beneficiary Account works
The Beneficiary Account allows you to roll over an untaxed lump sum super benefit that can be invested in any one of ten investment options. You can rollover1 additional super benefits into your Beneficiary Account at any time.
Your account balance will increase through rollovers from other funds, Government co-contributions and positive investment returns. Deductions for tax, fees, withdrawals, and negative investment returns will decrease your account balance.
Benefits and things to be aware of
If you choose to open a Beneficiary Account, you will be able to:
- Defer contributions tax payable on the untaxed component of your benefit
- Make choices about how your funds are invested, using our investment choice options, and
- Accept transfers and rollovers1 in from other accounts and funds.
However, our Beneficiary Account doesn't offer insurance options, and you can't make regular contributions other than lump sum transfers and rollovers in. This means that the Beneficiary Account can't accept your employer contributions. If those benefits are important to you and your circumstances, then our Accumulation Plan is another option you may wish to consider.
The Accumulation Plan differs from the Beneficiary Account because it:
- Accepts contributions from you or your employer
- Enables you to consolidate1 other super funds
- Provides optional insurance cover up to age 65 or 702 (subject to eligibility), and
- Allows binding death benefit nominations, however
- You cannot maintain your untaxed benefit in an Accumulation Plan.