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FES Super vs Super Retirement Fund

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.

Super Retirement Fund

Transferred legacy fund

Super Retirement Fund members moved to National Mutual Retirement Fund on 1 July 2026. The older name still appears in statements and historical data.

Membership

This is a former fund arrangement. Continuing contributions now use the receiving fund's details and the correct product USI. Registration of the old entity does not mean members can remain in it.

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

FES Super and Super Retirement Fund: product features and conditions
What to compareFES SuperSuper Retirement Fund
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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This is a former fund arrangement. Continuing contributions now use the receiving fund's details and the correct product USI. Registration of the old entity does not mean members can remain in it.

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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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Historical Super Retirement Fund accounts. Members transferred to a dedicated section of National Mutual Retirement Fund immediately after 30 June 2026.

Personal Super and SuperSelect

PensionSelect

SuperWise and SuperLink

SuperCARE and Retirement Saver

Select Personal Super and pension policies

Whole-of-life and endowment super policies

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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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Investment choices and policy benefits were tied to the individual contract. A June 2026 option return remains historical information about that option; it does not describe all transferred accounts.

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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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Insurance held in an account at the transfer date moved with it. Members should use the current policy records when checking cover or making a claim.

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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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Existing pension payments continue through the receiving fund under their agreed schedules. The transfer itself is different from voluntarily cashing out or surrendering a policy.

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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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Keep June 2026 historical data under its original fund identity and link members to National Mutual Retirement Fund for current account context.

Do not offer Super Retirement Fund as a fund to join.

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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 Super Retirement Fund

Editorial assessment

The most useful job of this page is to connect an old statement to the current account. Check the receiving fund and product identifiers first. Then assess fees, investments and policy benefits using documents for the transferred section.

Who this profile is for

  • Former Super Retirement Fund members checking where their account moved.
  • Employers and family members resolving an old fund name or rejected contribution.

What deserves a closer look

  • The old fund remained on APRA's September register after member transfer; legal registration and operating account status are different.
  • Employers need the new product USI for contributions from 1 July 2026.
  • Historical costs should not be treated as a current quote for a transferred policy.

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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 Super Retirement Fund

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 Super Retirement Fund profile · Choose another comparison

Sources for FES Super

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

  1. FES Super defined benefits
  2. FES Super accumulation account
  3. FES Super investment options
  4. How the Smoothed option works
  5. FES Super additional PDS information

Sources for Super Retirement Fund

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

  1. Resolution Life transfer details and product USI mapping
  2. Trustee confirmation of the completed transfer
  3. APRA registered entity list