Compare what each fund offers, then choose investment options to put their published costs and returns side by side.
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.
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.
Closed public sector scheme
DFRDB is a closed Defence pension scheme with benefits determined by salary and service rules.
The scheme serves eligible existing members and pensioners.
Choose the actual investment pathway for each account. For lifecycle products, select the named stage relevant to you. No stage is selected automatically.
The costs and returns belong to the selected product, option or lifecycle stage.
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.
| What to compare | AMP Super | DFRDB |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | The scheme serves eligible existing members and pensioners. Sources1 |
| 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 | Defence Forces Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme. DFRDB pension and scheme benefits Separate MilitarySuper ancillary account where eligible Sources1 |
| 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 | This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents. |
| 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 | Serving members have built-in death and invalidity protection. Sources1 |
| 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 | Service and super salary affect retirement pay. Eligible members can consider a pension and an optional lump-sum commutation under scheme rules. Sources1 |
| 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 | This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents. |
| 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 | This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents. |
| 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 | Keep the pension and ancillary accumulation account separate. Sources1 |
THE SUPERGURU VIEW
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.
Sources5
Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.
THE SUPERGURU VIEW
DFRDB belongs in an explanation of retirement entitlements. It does not belong in a league table of funds to switch into. The value of pension income and any commutation decision needs individual calculation.
Sources1
Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.
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 DFRDB profile · Choose another comparison
Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.
Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.