UniSuper vs Australian Retirement Trust
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 | UniSuper | Australian Retirement Trust | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-year net return (MySuper) | 7.80% | 7.70% | UniSuper |
| Annual fee at $50,000 | $346 | $410 | UniSuper |
| Annual fee at $250,000 | $1,346 | $1,810 | UniSuper |
| MySuper product | Balanced | Lifecycle | |
| Asset mix (MySuper) | Growth 70 / Defensive 30 | Lifecycle — de-risks with age | |
| Assets under management | $140B+ | $290B+ | |
| Members | 645k+ | 2.4M+ | |
| APRA assessment | Performing | Performing | |
| Choice options | 16 | 14 |
Which is better for you?
Over 10 years, UniSuper has outperformed by roughly 0.10 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 UniSuper is cheaper ($64 difference per year). At a $250,000 balance the fee winner is UniSuper. The percentage component of fees matters more as balance grows.
UniSuper is better if
- Very low % fee on Balanced (0.50%)
- Strong long-run returns
- Open to the public since 2021 — no longer restricted to universities
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
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: UniSuper · Australian Retirement Trust. 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.