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Catholic Super vs Cbus

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

Catholic Super

Industry fund brand

Catholic Super remains a separate brand within Equip Super. Its background in Catholic education and healthcare is useful context, but the name alone does not tell you the investment screens or product terms.

Membership

Check the current joining and employer criteria. The brand serves its established community as well as members whose circumstances fit the product.

Cbus

Industry fund

Cbus combines a construction-industry focus with public membership, a conventional investment menu and an optional direct investment service.

Membership

Anyone can join, subject to product eligibility. Certain Retirement Scheme members cannot use all the same investment features as ordinary accumulation 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 optionGrowth (MySuper)
Return basisChoose an optionMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member
3-year return, per yearChoose an option8.92%
5-year return, per yearChoose an option6.09%
7-year return, per yearChoose an option7.00%
10-year return, per yearChoose an option7.82%
APRA strategic growth allocationChoose an option76.08%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000Choose an option$455 a year (0.91%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)Choose an option$180 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

Catholic Super and Cbus: product features and conditions
What to compareCatholic SuperCbus
Membership and access

Check the current joining and employer criteria. The brand serves its established community as well as members whose circumstances fit the product.

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Anyone can join, subject to product eligibility. Certain Retirement Scheme members cannot use all the same investment features as ordinary accumulation members.

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Accounts and products

Superannuation, transition-to-retirement income and retirement income.

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Cbus Industry Super and Super Income Stream. Retirement Scheme members have separate restrictions.

Cbus Industry Super

Super Income Stream

Cbus Self Managed investment option

Retirement Scheme arrangements

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Investment choices

Diversified and sector-specific choices. The default is MySuper for super accounts, Capital Stable for transition-to-retirement accounts and MyPension for retirement income accounts.

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Growth (MySuper)

Members can choose pre-mixed and DIY asset-class options, including an Indexed Diversified option. Eligible members can use Cbus Self Managed for selected Australian shares, ETFs, term deposits and managed property and infrastructure investments. Despite its name, Cbus Self Managed is an option inside Cbus, not a separate SMSF.

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Insurance

Read the current Catholic Super insurance documents for the relevant employer or personal arrangement.

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Cbus offers death and TPD cover tailored to building, construction and allied industries. It describes automatic cover for eligible younger or low-balance members in the manual occupation category, an exception that makes the occupation rules especially important to read.

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Retirement income

MyPension invests across Cash, Capital Stable and Growth. This is an investment allocation strategy, with market risk, rather than a promise to pay income for life.

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Super Income Stream provides retirement and transition-to-retirement pathways. The Fully Retired account allows eligible members to receive regular payments and make withdrawals. New members can establish an income stream using money from another super fund.

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Advice and support

Financial planning is available through Togethr Financial Planning. Confirm the work covered and the agreed charge before requesting a personal plan.

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Cbus has an advice team, retirement information sessions and member support. Confirm whether the proposed service is general help or personal advice and whether a fee applies.

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Fee details to check

Compare the current Catholic Super product disclosure with the same product phase elsewhere. Shared investment infrastructure with Equip does not justify guessing that every member fee and insurance term is identical.

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Use the fees for the chosen pooled option or Self Managed arrangement, including account administration, investment costs and any trading costs. Insurance needs its own occupation-based comparison. Do not compare only the cash transaction account's interest rate or the price of one ETF.

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Comparing investment performance

Use the current aligned investment menu and its predecessor notes. Compare individual options with similar asset mixes.

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Cbus crediting rates deduct investment and transaction costs and investment tax, but exclude charges taken directly from member accounts. Its growth/defensive classification splits some property and infrastructure exposures between the two categories, so inspect the underlying allocation when comparing with another fund.

Show the claims-handling finding as a dated court outcome, not as an allegation or an investment-performance measure.

Compare asset allocation before comparing two funds' published growth-asset percentages.

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THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Catholic Super

Editorial assessment

A useful candidate for people who value its workplace relationships or want the retirement services offered through the brand.

What deserves a closer look

  • Do not confuse Catholic Super with Australian Catholic Super or assume a religious investment exclusion without reading the policy.
  • Comparing it with Equip is largely a comparison of brand and product arrangements within one legal fund.

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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 Cbus

Editorial assessment

Cbus is a sensible fund to investigate when insuring manual work is part of the decision. Its direct property and infrastructure choices also distinguish the investment menu. The serious claims-handling failures recorded by ASIC need to sit alongside those features in a fair assessment.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • Construction and manual workers comparing insurance eligibility and definitions.
  • Members who want a conventional default with the option of more direct control.
  • Retirees who want regular income and access to the remaining account balance.

What deserves a closer look

  • In November 2025, the Federal Court ordered Cbus's trustee to pay $23.5 million for serious delays in death-benefit and TPD claims. ASIC reported a separate remediation program of about $32 million for affected claimants and members.
  • Cbus Self Managed's property and infrastructure investments trade through scheduled quarterly windows, so they are less liquid than ordinary listed ETFs.
  • Retirement Scheme members are not eligible for Cbus Self Managed.
  • A construction-sector focus does not prove that a particular policy is better for your occupation or medical circumstances.

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

Before choosing between Catholic Super and Cbus

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 Catholic Super profile · Read the full Cbus profile · Choose another comparison