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Challenger Retirement Fund vs GuildSuper

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.

GuildSuper

Retail fund brand

GuildSuper is retaining its brand while transferring into Smart Future Trust. The transition is still underway on the research date, so current notices matter more than an old fee table.

Membership

Use the current GuildSuper joining documents and the transfer notice. The brand remains available, although some member transactions are temporarily limited during the transition.

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 GuildSuper: product features and conditions
What to compareChallenger Retirement FundGuildSuper
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

Use the current GuildSuper joining documents and the transfer notice. The brand remains available, although some member transactions are temporarily limited during the transition.

Sources12
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

Sources123

GuildSuper accumulation and pension products.

Sources12
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.

Sources123

The transfer introduces a refreshed investment menu and maps existing balances to comparable new options. Check the mapping for the precise option instead of assuming its old name and asset mix persist.

Sources12
Insurance

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

Sources123

The transfer notice says insurance cover and policy terms remain the same, but the insurance administration fee increases.

Sources12
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.

Sources123

Pension members remain in GuildSuper. The notice adjusts some September payment dates and temporarily limits member-initiated withdrawals and switches.

Sources12
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.

Sources123

Any future comparison spanning the transfer needs the option mapping and strategy-history note. Do not splice two different strategies without explanation.

Sources12
Advice and support

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

Use the current contact and advice information in the product disclosure. Confirm the service and price before commissioning personal advice.

Sources12
Fee details to check

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

New fund details apply to contributions from 5 September 2026. Compare the fee schedule applying after the transfer, including the higher insurance administration fee. The notice says most members are expected to pay lower overall fees, not all members.

Sources12

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 GuildSuper

Editorial assessment

Most immediately useful for existing GuildSuper members checking where their account is going and how their particular fees change.

What deserves a closer look

  • The scheduled account transfer is 12 September 2026, with services expected to resume on 14 September; it is not complete on 11 September.
  • Some member transactions are unavailable from 4 to 14 September. The new contribution identifiers started earlier than the account transfer.

Sources12

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 GuildSuper

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 GuildSuper 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 GuildSuper

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

  1. September 2026 transfer details
  2. Future Group partnership