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AMP Super vs CareSuper

Compare what each fund offers, then choose investment options to put their published costs and returns side by side.

By SuperGuru Group · Research checked 11 September 2026 · Historical APRA figures to 30 June 2026

AMP Super

Retail fund

AMP Super combines SignatureSuper's age-based MySuper options with investment choice, digital advice and retirement products. Its Lifetime Boost feature needs more explanation than a simple benefits tick.

Membership

Check the SignatureSuper PDS and any employer plan's terms. Restricted employer MySuper arrangements should not be treated as the same product as the standard SignatureSuper MySuper offer.

CareSuper

Industry fund

CareSuper offers a Balanced default, other pooled investment options and a Direct Investment option. Its merger and recent insurance changes make the date of a comparison especially important.

Membership

Use the current CareSuper PDS and your member category. Continuing members may have legacy insurance arrangements that differ from cover offered to new members.

Compare fees and investment returns

Choose the actual investment pathway for each account. For lifecycle products, select the named stage relevant to you. No stage is selected automatically.

APRA product data to 30 June 2026
MeasureChoose an investment optionCareSuper - MySuper
Return basisChoose an optionMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member
3-year return, per yearChoose an option7.72%
5-year return, per yearChoose an option5.88%
7-year return, per yearChoose an option6.53%
10-year return, per yearChoose an option7.32%
APRA strategic growth allocationChoose an option71.90%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000Choose an option$470 a year (0.94%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)Choose an option$150 a year
2026 performance testChoose an optionPass
New-member status at reporting dateCheck the current product eligibility rulesCheck the current product eligibility rules

Source: APRA Comprehensive Product Performance Package 2026, published 28 August 2026. Fees reflect the reporting year to 30 June 2026, are net of tax, use standard arrangements and exclude member-activity fees. Dollar figures are rounded. They are not a current quote. Check the latest PDS for changes, insurance premiums and any separately charged advice.

Returns are annualised historical results. Different return bases, risk levels and periods cannot be treated as interchangeable. MySuper net returns use a $50,000 representative balance even when you change the fee balance. A lifecycle stage return does not track a person moving between stages. Missing figures mean not reported, not zero. Past returns do not predict future returns. Read our method and APRA's definitions.

How the products differ

AMP Super and CareSuper: product features and conditions
What to compareAMP SuperCareSuper
Membership and access

Check the SignatureSuper PDS and any employer plan's terms. Restricted employer MySuper arrangements should not be treated as the same product as the standard SignatureSuper MySuper offer.

Sources3

Use the current CareSuper PDS and your member category. Continuing members may have legacy insurance arrangements that differ from cover offered to new members.

Sources5
Accounts and products

SignatureSuper in AMP Super Fund. MyNorth is a separate platform and legal super fund.

SignatureSuper

AMP MySuper Lifestages

AMP Flexible Retirement Income

AMP Lifetime Retirement Income

Sources6

Current CareSuper following the November 2024 merger; historical CARE Super and Spirit Super are not separate current choices.

CareSuper accumulation

Retirement Income

TTR Income

Direct Investment option

Sources2
Investment choices

AMP MySuper Lifestages

AMP's MySuper strategy allocates members by date of birth and gradually changes the growth and defensive mix. SignatureSuper also offers investment choice, including index-style, multi-manager and single-manager approaches, subject to the current menu.

Sources12

Balanced

The pooled menu includes Balanced, Growth, Alternative Growth, Sustainable Balanced and more defensive choices. Eligible members can use the Direct Investment option to choose selected ASX 300 shares, ETFs, listed investment companies and term deposits alongside CareSuper's other investments.

Sources234
Insurance

Use the insurance guide for your SignatureSuper membership or employer plan. Insurance fees depend on the cover held; the presence of an AMP account does not establish the level of cover or that an application would be accepted.

Sources3

CareSuper offers death, TPD and income protection, subject to its categories and eligibility rules. Its insurance changes took effect on 1 April 2026 and generally increased costs, changed some cover amounts, and altered terms and definitions. Income protection is unavailable for Category D.

Sources5
Retirement income

AMP offers a flexible allocated-pension product and a separate Lifetime Retirement Income product. Lifetime Boost in accumulation only produces its intended retirement benefit if the member later takes the AMP lifetime-income product. It is not an immediate cash bonus paid into the account.

Sources56

CareSuper has retirement-income and TTR products with separate options and fees. The Direct Investment option is not available in TTR accounts. Former product names changed through the merger, so check the current account name when reading older material.

Sources4
Advice and support

Eligible AMP Super members can access Digital Financial Advice through My AMP at no extra fee. It has an eligibility and service scope; more complex planning should be compared separately from the digital service.

Sources4

CareSuper includes some telephone advice about the account within membership. The scope of advice and any extra fee should be confirmed before asking for a broader financial plan.

Sources6
Fee details to check

Identify the product, selected option and employer arrangement before comparing charges. Costs can include administration, investment and transaction costs, insurance and personal advice. North's menu-based fees should not be substituted for SignatureSuper's charges.

Sources3

Use current CareSuper fees rather than an old Spirit Super or CARE Super fee table. Direct investing adds a separate administration fee, brokerage and any underlying ETF or listed-fund costs. Insurance premiums need a quote under the post-April 2026 terms.

Sources13
Comparing investment performance

MySuper Lifestage returns belong to birth cohorts and their changing investment mix. Compare the same cohort or age and common end date. An option's short-term return is not evidence that every SignatureSuper member received the same result.

Keep AMP Super and MyNorth separate.

Explain the MySuper-to-Choice change and conditional nature of Lifetime Boost before presenting it as a benefit.

Sources1

CareSuper's current fee page expressly notes that the former CARE Super fund merged into Spirit Super and that the investment options were aligned. Long performance histories can contain predecessor-fund results; identify the basis before interpreting them as the experience of every continuing member.

Use the current legal fund ABN and explain predecessor performance.

Check the insurance category and whether cover is legacy, default or tailored.

Sources1
Former names and account history

This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.

Spirit Super: Merged with CareSuper on 1 November 2024; the resulting legal fund retains former Spirit ABN 74559365913.

Sources7

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on AMP Super

Editorial assessment

AMP has a more involved retirement proposition than a simple accumulation account. That may interest someone planning how super and the Age Pension could work together, but the value rests on the conditions and the eventual retirement product. The Lifetime label needs careful reading before it becomes a reason to choose the fund.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People who want an age-based super strategy and access to digital advice.
  • Members examining their employer's SignatureSuper terms.
  • People willing to investigate a lifetime-income product as part of retirement planning.

What deserves a closer look

  • Activating Lifetime Boost permanently changes the account from MySuper to Choice. AMP notes that MySuper has additional legal protections, even though activation itself does not change current fees, insurance or investments.
  • Lifetime Boost's benefit is only realised if the member takes the relevant AMP Lifetime Retirement Income product.
  • Eligibility excludes certain ages and account circumstances, including defined-benefit and TTR arrangements.
  • Compare the lifetime-income product's access, payment and beneficiary rules with an ordinary allocated pension.

Sources5

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on CareSuper

Editorial assessment

CareSuper is useful to compare if you want pooled investment management with an option to take more control later. Existing members have another reason to review their account: the merger history and insurance changes mean old documents may no longer describe what they hold.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • Members comparing a Balanced default with a broader pooled menu.
  • People who want a direct investment facility within their super fund.
  • Former Spirit Super or CARE Super members checking current fees, investments and cover.

What deserves a closer look

  • The name survived a merger, but that does not make every old fee or insurance term current.
  • Some legacy death, TPD and income-protection age limits changed in April 2026.
  • Direct investing carries extra costs and portfolio-management responsibility.
  • The Direct Investment option is unavailable for TTR accounts.

Sources345

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

Before choosing between AMP Super and CareSuper

Use the membership rules to establish which accounts are available to you. Then compare the total price of the investment option and cover you need. A lower fee or higher historical return alone does not tell you which fund is suitable.

Ask both funds to confirm insurance acceptance, exclusions, waiting periods and whether cover would change when you leave your employer. Obtain advice before giving up a defined benefit or an insurance policy you may not be able to replace. ASIC Moneysmart explains the comparison checks.

Read the full AMP Super profile · Read the full CareSuper profile · Choose another comparison