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Challenger Retirement Fund vs Mason Stevens 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.

Mason Stevens Super

Retail investment platform

Mason Stevens Super provides an account for an adviser-selected investment portfolio, with super and pension administration in one service.

Membership

Access and portfolio arrangements are handled through an adviser. Review the super PDS rather than relying on the wider firm's investment-service material.

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 Mason Stevens Super: product features and conditions
What to compareChallenger Retirement FundMason Stevens 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

Access and portfolio arrangements are handled through an adviser. Review the super PDS rather than relying on the wider firm's investment-service material.

Sources123
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

Mason Stevens Super and pension.

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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 platform gives access to managed investments and portfolio services. The PDS includes a Foundation ETF Balanced example, but that example is not every member's portfolio.

Sources123
Insurance

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

Sources123

Ask the adviser to identify the available insurer, eligibility and terms in the current super disclosure before arranging or replacing cover.

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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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Super and pension accounts have different cash requirements and payment needs.

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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.

Sources123

Assess the selected investments and actual cash allocation. A model's published return does not necessarily include all account and advice costs.

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Advice and support

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

An adviser helps select and manage the portfolio. Adviser remuneration is additional to the platform's standard cost example.

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Fee details to check

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

Include account fees, administration, the cash margin, investment costs and adviser charges. The PDS's worked example uses $48,000 in a model and $2,000 in cash, which affects the result.

Sources123

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 Mason Stevens Super

Editorial assessment

A candidate for an advised member who needs portfolio services and can explain what they add to a simpler diversified option.

What deserves a closer look

  • Super normally needs the greater of $2,000 or 2% in cash, capped at $15,000; pension requirements are higher.
  • Trading, cash and advice costs can materially change the total.

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 Mason Stevens 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 Mason Stevens 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 Mason Stevens Super

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

  1. Super product disclosure
  2. Additional information
  3. Cash requirements