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FES Super vs Rest

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

FES Super

Restricted occupational fund

FES Super serves eligible Western Australian fire and emergency services employees, with defined benefit and accumulation accounts.

Membership

Firefighters start in the Defined Benefit Account. Different rules apply to other permanent, temporary and casual employees of DFES and associated employers. Spouse and retained accounts are available under their own eligibility rules.

Rest

Industry fund

Rest pairs its Growth default with indexed and other investment choices. Its published indexed investment costs make it useful to compare total account charges carefully.

Membership

Check the Rest Super or Rest Corporate PDS for the relevant membership and insurance terms. This profile covers the public Rest Super proposition rather than every employer arrangement.

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 option9.17%
5-year return, per yearChoose an option6.66%
7-year return, per yearChoose an option6.91%
10-year return, per yearChoose an option7.35%
APRA strategic growth allocationChoose an option76.24%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000Choose an option$405 a year (0.81%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)Choose an option$130 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

FES Super and Rest: product features and conditions
What to compareFES SuperRest
Membership and access

Firefighters start in the Defined Benefit Account. Different rules apply to other permanent, temporary and casual employees of DFES and associated employers. Spouse and retained accounts are available under their own eligibility rules.

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Check the Rest Super or Rest Corporate PDS for the relevant membership and insurance terms. This profile covers the public Rest Super proposition rather than every employer arrangement.

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Accounts and products

Fire and Emergency Services Superannuation Fund in Western Australia. Compare its accumulation accounts separately from defined benefits.

Defined Benefit Account

Accumulation Account

Retained Benefit Account

Spouse Account

Account Based Pension

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Rest Super, Rest Corporate and Rest Pension have separate disclosure documents.

Rest Super

Rest Corporate

Rest Pension

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Investment choices

Smoothed option for accumulation accounts

Accumulation members have six choices: Smoothed, Moderate, Cash, Fixed Interest, International Shares and Australian Shares. The Smoothed option can set aside some returns in stronger years and release reserves in weaker years, at the board's discretion.

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Growth

Growth is Rest's default option. The choice menu includes Growth - Indexed, Australian and overseas share index options, and Sustainable Growth. An indexed option's investment fee does not include every charge incurred by the account.

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Insurance

The defined benefit has employment-related death and disability provisions, with separate income protection arrangements. Accumulation insurance uses different terms. Check occupation, account type and employment status before comparing cover.

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Rest publishes separate insurance guides for Super and Corporate accounts. Check the active cover shown in your account, its benefit definitions and current premiums; insurance changes and employer arrangements can affect what you receive.

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Retirement income

Members can retain eligible savings or use an account-based pension. Converting a defined benefit into accumulation can be irreversible under the scheme rules.

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Rest Pension has a separate PDS and investment information. Use its retirement product details when comparing payments, investment choice and charges rather than assuming a Rest Super comparison also covers retirement.

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Comparing investment performance

Any investment comparison on this profile applies to the named accumulation option. Obtain a scheme benefit estimate before assessing a defined benefit transfer.

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Use returns for the exact option and account type, with a common end date and a clear statement of fees deducted. Growth, Growth - Indexed and Sustainable Growth are distinct strategies and should not share a single performance figure.

Keep Growth and Growth - Indexed separate in all fee and return tables.

State whether the comparison includes costs paid from reserves and buy spreads.

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Advice and support

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

Simple personal advice about a Rest account is generally available at no extra cost. More complex advice can incur a fee and Rest states that this may not be payable from the Rest account.

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Fee details to check

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

Rest's fees combine a weekly administration charge, a percentage administration charge, costs paid from reserves, investment costs and transaction costs. Buy spreads can apply when money enters an option. The current fee page says investment and transaction costs are forecast to increase for the year ending June 2027, so the displayed prior-year cost is not a guaranteed future quote.

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THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on FES Super

Editorial assessment

For a firefighter, the starting point is the value of the employment-linked benefit and cover. A return chart cannot price those entitlements. For an accumulation member, the unusual Smoothed option deserves attention: smoothing changes when returns are credited, without removing investment risk.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • Eligible DFES employees assessing their workplace scheme.
  • Existing members reviewing additional savings, retirement or a retained account.

What deserves a closer look

  • Joining is restricted by employment and family eligibility rules.
  • Defined benefits cannot be ranked against ordinary accumulation accounts using annual investment returns.
  • A smoother credited return does not make the Smoothed option a cash account or guarantee its future return.

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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 Rest

Editorial assessment

Rest is worth looking at when building a shortlist of simple indexed portfolios. The useful comparison is the whole annual cost at your balance, including administration and any spread on contributions. A zero investment-fee line can be accurate while the account still has other charges.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People comparing indexed investment options within a large fund.
  • Members who want help with relatively straightforward questions about their super.
  • Existing Rest members checking whether the current investment option still suits their intended risk level.

What deserves a closer look

  • Rest's reserve-funded administration costs should be disclosed even though they do not appear as a direct deduction from the account.
  • Forecast FY2027 investment and transaction cost increases make the cost period important.
  • ASIC issued two infringement notices totalling $37,560 for alleged misleading representations after insurance was inadvertently activated for more than 2,000 members. Rest paid them in September 2025. Payment of an infringement notice is not a court finding of liability.

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

Before choosing between FES Super and Rest

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 FES Super profile · Read the full Rest profile · Choose another comparison