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Challenger Retirement Fund vs Cruelty Free Super

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

Challenger Retirement Fund

Closed retail fund

Challenger Retirement Fund holds legacy super, pension and insurance contracts. Its products are closed to new members.

Membership

The provider confirms all products in this fund are closed to new members. Existing holders should use the documents for their particular contract.

Cruelty Free Super

Retail fund brand

Cruelty Free Super gives animal-welfare concerns a central role in its ethical approach. It replaced its single Growth option with three choices in 2024.

Membership

Public membership is available under the current product documents.

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

Challenger Retirement Fund and Cruelty Free Super: product features and conditions
What to compareChallenger Retirement FundCruelty Free Super
Membership and access

The provider confirms all products in this fund are closed to new members. Existing holders should use the documents for their particular contract.

Sources123

Public membership is available under the current product documents.

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Accounts and products

Existing products inside Challenger Retirement Fund. This entry does not describe every annuity currently sold by Challenger Life.

Guaranteed Personal Superannuation

Guaranteed Income Pension Plan

Guaranteed Lifetime Pension Plan

Term Allocated Pension

Term Life under super

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Cruelty Free Super accumulation.

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Investment choices

Some contracts provide a guaranteed rate or income; others have cash or market-linked features. There is no single investment menu or balanced option that represents the whole fund.

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The current choices are Cruelty Free Australian Shares, Cruelty Free International Shares and Cash. Members select their own mix; these are not three diversified balanced portfolios.

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Insurance

Term Life is a separate insurance product in the fund. Holding a pension does not mean a member has that insurance.

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AIA provides insurance. The FAQ says a transfer of existing insurance generally needs to be completed within 30 days of leaving the other fund.

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Retirement income

Income, withdrawal rights and indexation depend on the original contract. Fixed terms may have break costs, while some lifetime pensions have no withdrawal value.

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The reviewed FAQ explains retirement withdrawals but does not establish a dedicated pension product. Check the income-stream pathway before retirement.

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Comparing investment performance

Do not present this fund as an available destination for a new accumulation account.

Guaranteed-income contracts and ordinary market investment options need different comparisons.

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Read option inception and change dates; the pre-2024 single-option record is not the same record as every current option.

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Advice and support

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

Member services provide product support; personal advice needs a qualified adviser.

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Fee details to check

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

Use the current PDS and reference guide for the chosen option, including administration, investment and insurance costs.

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THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Challenger Retirement Fund

Editorial assessment

This entry is useful for someone trying to understand an existing policy. A modern super comparison can miss the promise built into a legacy pension. Start with the contract, its payment schedule and any surrender value before weighing a change.

Who this profile is for

  • Existing policyholders and pensioners reviewing their entitlements.
  • People helping a family member identify an older Challenger policy.

What deserves a closer look

  • The fund's closed status does not mean every product sold under the Challenger brand is closed.
  • A guarantee, if provided, has terms and a named provider. Check both in the contract.
  • Legacy pension exit rules and the treatment of benefits require a separate assessment; a fee table cannot establish whether leaving is worthwhile.

Sources123

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 Cruelty Free Super

Editorial assessment

A candidate for people whose animal-welfare requirements are not met by a mainstream fund's screening policy.

What deserves a closer look

  • Ethical screens apply to the share options, not the Cash option. A shares-only allocation has different risk from a diversified balanced fund.
  • Confirm insurance-transfer acceptance before closing existing cover.

Sources123

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

Before choosing between Challenger Retirement Fund and Cruelty Free Super

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 Challenger Retirement Fund profile · Read the full Cruelty Free Super profile · Choose another comparison

Sources for Challenger Retirement Fund

Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.

  1. Challenger Retirement Fund product status and retirement strategy
  2. Challenger Retirement Fund trustee disclosures
  3. Challenger forms and product documents

Sources for Cruelty Free Super

Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.

  1. Current product and trustee
  2. FAQs and insurance
  3. Current investment choices and screening scope