Australian Retirement Trust vs Cbus
Side-by-side comparison of the two funds on the numbers that actually matter: long-term net return, fees at your balance, asset mix, and insurance defaults.
| Metric | Australian Retirement Trust | Cbus | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-year net return (MySuper) | 7.70% | 8.00% | Cbus |
| Annual fee at $50,000 | $410 | $416 | Australian Retirement Trust |
| Annual fee at $250,000 | $1,810 | $1,696 | Cbus |
| MySuper product | Lifecycle | Growth | |
| Asset mix (MySuper) | Lifecycle — de-risks with age | Growth 75 / Defensive 25 | |
| Assets under management | $290B+ | $100B+ | |
| Members | 2.4M+ | 920k+ | |
| APRA assessment | Performing | Performing | |
| Choice options | 14 | 8 |
Which is better for you?
Over 10 years, Cbus has outperformed by roughly 0.30 percentage points per year. On a $250,000 balance held for 20 years at the average return, a 1 p.p. return gap compounds to roughly $90,000 — so even small return differences add up.
On fees, at a $50,000 balance Australian Retirement Trust is cheaper ($6 difference per year). At a $250,000 balance the fee winner is Cbus. The percentage component of fees matters more as balance grows.
Australian Retirement Trust is better if
- Lifecycle default automatically de-risks as you approach retirement
- Merger scale has driven fees down
- Strong retirement-phase product suite
Cbus is better if
- Insurance defaults are well-suited to physical-trade workers
- Solid long-term performance
- Member services oriented around construction sector
Things neither fund fixes
- Performance test results change yearly — check the APRA heatmap before you decide
- Default insurance may not match your actual cover needs
- Switching funds cancels your existing insurance — check health status first
Full fund reviews
Read the complete reviews: Australian Retirement Trust · Cbus. Or use the compare-funds tool to add any pair and your own balance.
General information only — not financial advice. Super decisions are long-term; verify with a licensed adviser.