DFRDB 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

First fundSecond fund

DFRDB

Closed public sector scheme

DFRDB is a closed Defence pension scheme with benefits determined by salary and service rules.

Membership

The scheme serves eligible existing members and pensioners.

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.

DFRDB: investment option0 published pathways. Check the exact product and employer plan; a shared fund name does not mean identical terms.OneAnswer (OnePath): investment option18 published pathways. Check the exact product and employer plan; a shared fund name does not mean identical terms.Account balance for fee comparison

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

DFRDB and OneAnswer (OnePath): product features and conditions
What to compare	DFRDB	OneAnswer (OnePath)
Membership and access	The scheme serves eligible existing members and pensioners. 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. Sources1 2 4
Accounts and products	Defence Forces Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme. DFRDB pension and scheme benefits Separate MilitarySuper ancillary account where eligible Sources1	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 Sources1 4
Insurance	Serving members have built-in death and invalidity protection. Sources1	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. Sources2 4 5
Retirement income	Service and super salary affect retirement pay. Eligible members can consider a pension and an optional lump-sum commutation under scheme rules. Sources1	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. Sources2 4
Comparing investment performance	Keep the pension and ancillary accumulation account separate. Sources1	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
Investment choices	This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.	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. Sources1 2 6
Advice and support	This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.	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. Sources2 3
Fee details to check	This detail has not been verified for this profile. Check the current product documents.	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. Sources3 7

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on DFRDB

Editorial assessment

DFRDB belongs in an explanation of retirement entitlements. It does not belong in a league table of funds to switch into. The value of pension income and any commutation decision needs individual calculation.

Who this profile is for

Current DFRDB members and pensioners reviewing entitlements.

What deserves a closer look

Any investment menu applies to a separate ancillary account, not to the core DFRDB pension.
A commutation changes the form of retirement benefits; compare its full effect before deciding.

Sources1

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.

Sources3 5 6

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

Before choosing between DFRDB 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 DFRDB profile · Read the full OneAnswer (OnePath) profile · Choose another comparison

Sources for DFRDB

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

CSC DFRDB overview

Sources for OneAnswer (OnePath)

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