superguru
MenuClose menu

Expand vs legalsuper

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

Expand

Retail platform

Expand is a super and pension platform with Essential and Extra product tiers. Its value depends on the investment menu and services a member actually uses.

Membership

Use the Essential or Extra PDS and target market determination. The platform is commonly used with advice, and an application requires an investment choice; Essential allows a cash holding while a member decides on a longer-term strategy.

legalsuper

Industry fund

legalsuper is aimed at the legal profession and gives members both managed investment options and a direct investment facility.

Membership

Check current employer-sponsored and personal membership terms. The account category matters when comparing fees and insurance.

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 optionMySuper
Return basisChoose an optionMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member
3-year return, per yearChoose an option10.11%
5-year return, per yearChoose an option7.32%
7-year return, per yearChoose an option7.53%
10-year return, per yearChoose an option7.90%
APRA strategic growth allocationChoose an option77.72%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000Choose an option$470 a year (0.94%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)Choose an option$190 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

Expand and legalsuper: product features and conditions
What to compareExpandlegalsuper
Membership and access

Use the Essential or Extra PDS and target market determination. The platform is commonly used with advice, and an application requires an investment choice; Essential allows a cash holding while a member decides on a longer-term strategy.

Sources2

Check current employer-sponsored and personal membership terms. The account category matters when comparing fees and insurance.

Sources1234
Accounts and products

Expand Essential and Extra in IOOF Portfolio Service Superannuation Fund; not MLC MasterKey.

Expand Essential Super and Pension

Expand Extra Super and Pension

Retirement Boost

Sources1234567

Superannuation, pension and transition-to-retirement pension.

Sources1234
Investment choices

Member-selected investments; not a single platform-wide MySuper default.

Essential combines a menu of managed funds and model portfolios with Essential+, which adds selected ETFs and term deposits. Extra offers a much broader selection of managed funds, model portfolios and listed investments. Investments across menus can carry different administration charges.

Sources1234

Members can choose managed options. Eligible accounts can also use the Direct Investment Option for ASX300 shares, selected ETFs, listed investment companies and term deposits.

Sources1234
Insurance

Expand advertises group and retail insurance options. The policy, underwriting and cost depend on the cover arranged; the platform's investment features do not establish that a member is insured.

Sources1

The fund has insurance options for its membership. Compare the actual policy and occupation category, rather than treating a legal-industry label or award as proof of value.

Sources1234
Retirement income

Both tiers have pension products. Retirement Boost adds a separate lifetime-income proposition with its own eligibility and access rules. It should be compared with other lifetime products rather than treated as an ordinary account-based pension.

Sources125

Pension members have a managed menu and can access direct investment subject to its rules. Transition-to-retirement pension members cannot use the Direct Investment Option.

Sources1234
Advice and support

An advised arrangement needs two assessments: whether the adviser service is useful and whether the platform is an appropriate way to implement it. Ask for the full ongoing cost and the consequences of ending the advice relationship.

Sources1234567

The fund provides member information and support. Personal financial advice should have a clear scope and agreed fee; only eligible super-related advice fees may be paid from the account.

Sources1234
Fee details to check

Add platform administration, account charges, underlying investment fees, transaction or brokerage costs, insurance and any adviser fee. Essential+ has a higher administration rate on the first part of the balance than the ordinary Essential menu. A low fee quoted for one menu is not a price for every portfolio.

Sources34

Direct investing adds its own administration and other costs to the ordinary product schedule. Include these when comparing it with a pooled option or another direct-share facility.

Sources1234
Comparing investment performance

There is no single meaningful Expand investment return. Measure the chosen portfolio after all applicable costs. The performance test covers only eligible trustee-directed investments, so a result for one option does not describe every investment on the platform.

State Essential versus Extra and the menu used.

Keep option-specific performance-test outcomes attached to the relevant option IDs.

Sources67

A member who holds direct securities has a personal portfolio return. It is not meaningful to assign the MySuper return to that portfolio.

Sources1234

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Expand

Editorial assessment

Expand makes most sense to investigate when a person needs its investment or retirement features and can explain why. A broad platform can be useful with a carefully chosen portfolio, but it also creates several layers of fees to compare. The product tier and menu selection should be visible in any price comparison.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People using an adviser to implement a portfolio that needs a broad investment menu.
  • Members comparing direct listed investments, managed portfolios and retirement features within one platform.
  • Families checking whether available fee arrangements change the total cost.

What deserves a closer look

  • Expand's 28 August 2026 notice says MLC MultiActive High Growth (MLC0397AU) and MLC MultiActive Geared (MLC0449AU) failed the 2026 performance test within the covered Expand products. Both remained open to new members because this was their first failure.
  • That notice concerns specified investment options, not a failure of every Expand investment or the whole platform.
  • Portfolio complexity, cash holdings, brokerage and advice fees can materially change the cost.
  • Lifetime products have access and beneficiary terms that require separate assessment.
  • Members transferred from Grow Wrap, Voyage or PortfolioOne should use their Expand welcome documents and fee schedule. June 2026 figures for those former products describe the pre-transfer account.

Sources67

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 legalsuper

Editorial assessment

Worth examining for legal professionals or eligible members who want more investment control and will use the direct menu.

What deserves a closer look

  • The direct facility is unavailable in transition-to-retirement pensions.
  • A broad investment menu does not remove the need to manage concentration, cash and trading costs.

Sources1234

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

Before choosing between Expand and legalsuper

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 Expand profile · Read the full legalsuper profile · Choose another comparison