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Aware Super vs OneAnswer (OnePath)

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

Aware Super

Industry fund

Aware Super uses a Lifecycle default in its Future Saver account and offers retirement income accounts, investment choice and several levels of advice.

Membership

Public membership is available. Some former scheme members, including defined-benefit and employer groups, need the documents for their own plan.

OneAnswer (OnePath)

Retail super and pension range

OneAnswer has a current Frontier super and pension range alongside older closed products. Investment choice is central to Frontier, and its current insurance arrangements differ from older descriptions.

Membership

Frontier accepts applications from people receiving its PDS in Australia, including applications submitted by a financial adviser. The usual minimum initial Personal Super investment is $2,000, or $1,000 with a Regular Investment Plan. Older OneAnswer Personal Super and pension products are closed 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.

Choose an investment option to see the figures

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.

How the products differ

Aware Super and OneAnswer (OnePath): product features and conditions
What to compareAware SuperOneAnswer (OnePath)
Membership and access

Public membership is available. Some former scheme members, including defined-benefit and employer groups, need the documents for their own plan.

Sources1

Frontier accepts applications from people receiving its PDS in Australia, including applications submitted by a financial adviser. The usual minimum initial Personal Super investment is $2,000, or $1,000 with a Regular Investment Plan. Older OneAnswer Personal Super and pension products are closed to new members.

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Accounts and products

Future Saver public accumulation account; restricted legacy and employer arrangements are separate.

Future Saver

Retirement Income

Retirement Transition

Legacy defined-benefit arrangements

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OneAnswer Frontier Personal Super and Pension, with separate notes for closed OneAnswer Personal Super and pension accounts. ANZ Smart Choice and Grow Wrap are outside this profile's numerical scope.

OneAnswer Frontier Personal Super

OneAnswer Frontier Pension

OneAnswer Frontier transition-to-retirement pension

Closed OneAnswer Personal Super, Allocated Pension and Term Allocated Pension accounts

Sources14
Investment choices

MySuper Lifecycle

Future Saver members who do not choose an investment option use MySuper Lifecycle, which changes the mix with age. Members can choose diversified or single-asset-class investments instead. The retirement-account default is Conservative Balanced, rather than the accumulation Lifecycle approach.

Sources23

Frontier requires the applicant to select investment options. The trustee will not choose one and cannot proceed with an application that lacks a selection. ANZ Smart Choice MySuper figures reported under the same historical legal fund are not OneAnswer defaults.

The range includes diversified and single-sector managed funds, OneAnswer index funds, MultiSeries portfolios combining active and passive investments, and ANZ Term Deposits. Auto-rebalancing and dollar-cost-averaging facilities can help administer a chosen mix, but they cannot be used together and do not apply to term deposits. Check the current investment guide and product notices for closures or strategy changes.

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Insurance

Death, TPD and income protection cover are available through TAL policies, subject to eligibility. Basic Cover comprises death and TPD; other cover can require an application. NSW Police and Ambulance officers have special arrangements and should use their own insurance handbooks.

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The current Additional Information Guide says insurance is not available directly through Frontier Personal Super. A separate risk-only super insurance product may be payable using the Frontier account, with advice about the arrangement. An October 2025 notice removed OneCare Super references from the new-member documents. Existing members should check their actual policy and account, especially where an older OneAnswer product still holds group cover.

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Retirement income

Retirement Income is the account-based pension product. Retirement Transition is for eligible members accessing super while working and automatically becomes Retirement Income at age 65. Members can keep the Conservative Balanced default or choose their own investment mix.

Sources34

Frontier Pension offers an account-based pension and a transition-to-retirement pension. The initial pension minimum is $20,000. Payment choices include monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and annual intervals. An existing Term Allocated Pension is a different product with its own payment and withdrawal restrictions; it should not be treated as an ordinary Frontier pension.

Sources24
Advice and support

Aware offers help about its accounts, personal retirement advice and broader financial advice. Advice about Aware accounts can be available at no extra cost, while broader advice has a fee. Confirm what the service covers before relying on it for decisions involving other assets or another fund.

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The product is designed to support an investment portfolio chosen with a financial adviser. An Adviser Service Fee is negotiated separately. Ask for the services and their cost in writing, including what happens to the investment strategy if ongoing advice ends.

Sources23
Fee details to check

Compare the fee for the actual Lifecycle age allocation or chosen option. A retirement account and Future Saver can have different administration and investment costs, so the accumulation total should not be carried into a pension comparison.

Sources12345678

The December 2025 fee guide lists a $135.29 annual Member Fee for Personal Super and TTR accounts below the qualifying $50,000 balance, equivalent to $115 after the stated tax benefit. The ordinary pension Member Fee is $115. ANZ Term Deposits and ANZ Cash Advantage have special exclusions, and eligible linked Frontier accounts can request a waiver. A waived Member Fee does not remove investment costs: the selected fund's Ongoing Fee, other investment and transaction costs, any levies or expense recoveries, and advice still need to be included. Some June 2026 APRA externally directed OneAnswer rows contain zero total-cost entries at higher balances that conflict with the fee guide. Those entries should not be interpreted as a free investment account.

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Comparing investment performance

A Lifecycle comparison must match the member's age and the relevant investment mix. Conservative Balanced pension results and Future Saver results differ in investment strategy and tax treatment; a single brand-level return would obscure those differences.

Compare Future Saver's Lifecycle for the same age, and compare retirement accounts separately.

Check whether advice being compared is general guidance, personal advice about the fund, or broader financial planning.

Sources3

Use the exact Frontier investment option, dates and return basis. The legal fund's historical reporting also includes other brands, so its overall result is not a OneAnswer portfolio return. Some options are trustee-directed and receive performance-test results; other externally directed options have no result in the package. An absent test result does not mean a pass or failure.

Only OneAnswer Frontier Personal Super pathways are matched to this profile's APRA table.

June 2026 figures retain Retirement Portfolio Service ABN 61808189263. They must not be relabelled as current ANZ Smart Choice data after a later transfer.

The OneAnswer Investment Portfolio is an investment product outside super and is excluded from this comparison.

Sources7
Former names and account history

First State Super: Renamed Aware Super in September 2020.

StatePlus: Former advice and retirement brand, acquired by First State Super in 2016 and rebranded in 2020; do not confuse with State Super NSW defined benefit schemes.

TelstraSuper: Heritage TelstraSuper accounts moved to Aware Super, with new arrangements from 1 May 2026; heritage insurance terms remain account-specific.

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

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Aware Super

Editorial assessment

Aware is worth examining if you want investment management and help with retirement decisions in the same place. The change from an accumulation Lifecycle default to a Conservative Balanced retirement default deserves a close look: it is a meaningful change in how your money is invested, not just a new account name.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People who prefer an age-based default and want access to advice.
  • Members planning a gradual transition into retirement.
  • Former public-sector members who need help checking retained scheme or insurance terms.

What deserves a closer look

  • The default investment path is based on age rather than a complete view of your finances.
  • Police, Ambulance and legacy defined-benefit terms must be checked separately.
  • Transferring insurance requires acceptance. Aware says not to cancel existing cover until it confirms acceptance and the new start date.

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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 OneAnswer (OnePath)

Editorial assessment

OneAnswer is most useful to assess with the account name and investment list already in front of you. Frontier can accommodate an advised portfolio or a simpler index holding, but there is no default allocation to make that decision for you. For an existing member, the practical questions are what the full account costs, how insurance is arranged, and whether an older product has features a transfer would surrender.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People who want to choose managed investments within a super account, with a clear plan for their asset allocation.
  • Existing OneAnswer members comparing their exact legacy or Frontier terms before making a change.
  • Eligible members who want a pension offering connected to the Frontier investment range.

What deserves a closer look

  • Confirm the full product name. Frontier, older OneAnswer accounts, ANZ Smart Choice and Grow Wrap are not interchangeable.
  • A Member Fee waiver affects one charge; it does not establish a zero total cost.
  • Direct insurance is not part of the current Frontier offer. Confirm any separate insurance arrangement before moving an existing balance.
  • Current product updates can change a fund's name, strategy or availability; a saved investment list may be stale.

Sources356

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

Before choosing between Aware Super and OneAnswer (OnePath)

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 Aware Super profile · Read the full OneAnswer (OnePath) profile · Choose another comparison