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Will investors change their superannuation fund given the choice?

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  • Tim Fry
  • Richard Heaney
  • Warren McKeown

Abstract

A large number of Australian investors have been granted the right to choose where their superannuation fund contributions will be invested, but it is difficult to ascertain whether investors will exercise this choice. Although expected‐utility‐maximizing investors might tend to change their fund once given the choice, loss averse investors would favour the status quo. Using a survey of over 1600 Australian investors, conducted by FinaMetrica in early 2005, we find support for inertia (status quo) in our sample suggesting that, with respect to superannuation choice, individual Australian investors are loss averse.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim Fry & Richard Heaney & Warren McKeown, 2007. "Will investors change their superannuation fund given the choice?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 47(2), pages 267-283, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:47:y:2007:i:2:p:267-283
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2006.00203.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Butt, Adam & Donald, M. Scott & Foster, F. Douglas & Thorp, Susan & Warren, Geoffrey J., 2018. "One size fits all? Tailoring retirement plan defaults," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 546-566.
    2. Su (Sally) Gan & Richard Heaney & Paul Gerrans, 2015. "Individual investor portfolio performance in retirement savings accounts," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 40(4), pages 652-671, November.
    3. John Watson & James Delaney & Michael Dempsey & J. Wickramanayake, 2016. "Australian superannuation (pension) fund product ratings and performance: A guide for fund managers," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 41(2), pages 189-211, May.
    4. Peter J. Phillips, 2011. "Will Self‐Managed Superannuation Fund Investors Survive?," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 44(1), pages 51-63, March.
    5. Paul Gerrans, 2012. "Retirement savings investment choices in response to the global financial crisis: Australian evidence," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 37(3), pages 415-439, December.
    6. Paul Gerrans & Marilyn Clark‐Murphy & Craig Speelman, 2010. "Asset allocation and age effects in retirement savings choices," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(2), pages 301-319, June.
    7. Peng, Xiaowen & Alpert, Karen & Hsu, Grace Chia-Man, 2020. "Switching between superannuation funds: Does performance and marketing matter?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    8. Philip Gharghori & Charly Sujoto & Madhu Veeraraghavan, 2008. "Are Australian Investors Smart?," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 32(3), pages 525-544, March.
    9. Jennifer Alonso Garcia & Hazel Bateman & Johan Bonekamp & Ralph Stevens, 2017. "Retirement drawdown defaults: the role of implied endorsement," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/300025, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    10. Gerrans, Paul & Yap, Ghialy, 2014. "Retirement savings investment choices: Sophisticated or naive?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 233-250.
    11. Jennifer Alonso‐García & Hazel Bateman & Johan Bonekamp & Ralph Stevens, 2021. "Spending from Regulated Retirement Drawdowns: The Role of Implied Endorsement," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 123(3), pages 810-847, July.
    12. Geoffrey Kingston & Susan Thorp, 2019. "Superannuation in Australia: A Survey of the Literature," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 95(308), pages 141-160, March.
    13. Marilyn Clark-Murphy & Craig P. Speelman, 2007. "Decision Making Clusters in Retirement Savings: Preliminary Findings," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 10(2), pages 115-127.
    14. Florian Gerth & Katia Lopez & Krishna Reddy & Vikash Ramiah & Damien Wallace & Glenn Muschert & Alex Frino & Leonie Jooste, 2021. "The Behavioural Aspects of Financial Literacy," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, August.

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