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Retirement Benefits Fund vs UniSuper

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

Retirement Benefits Fund

Closed public sector scheme

RBF retains defined benefit and pension arrangements for eligible Tasmanian public sector members.

Membership

Existing members, preserved members and eligible pensioners should check their particular membership category.

UniSuper

Industry fund

UniSuper offers a public Personal Account alongside its university-sector products. The Defined Benefit Division is fundamentally different from an ordinary investment account.

Membership

The Personal Account is available to people living in Australia aged over 15. Employer-linked products and the Defined Benefit Division have their own entry rules.

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 Offering
Return basisChoose an optionMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member
3-year return, per yearChoose an option9.80%
5-year return, per yearChoose an option6.89%
7-year return, per yearChoose an option7.41%
10-year return, per yearChoose an option8.11%
APRA strategic growth allocationChoose an option76.73%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000Choose an option$340 a year (0.68%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)Choose an option$80 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

Retirement Benefits Fund and UniSuper: product features and conditions
What to compareRetirement Benefits FundUniSuper
Membership and access

Existing members, preserved members and eligible pensioners should check their particular membership category.

Sources123

The Personal Account is available to people living in Australia aged over 15. Employer-linked products and the Defined Benefit Division have their own entry rules.

Sources1
Accounts and products

Tasmania's RBF Contributory Scheme and eligible life pensions.

RBF Contributory Scheme

Eligible RBF Life Pension

Sources123

Public Personal Account and employer accumulation products; Defined Benefit Division must be assessed separately.

Personal Account

Accumulation 1

Accumulation 2

Defined Benefit Division

Flexi Pension

Sources14
Retirement income

RBF life pension eligibility and conversion terms depend on membership history. Some withdrawals can remove access to particular pension conversion terms.

Sources123

Flexi Pension provides retirement-phase and transition-to-retirement accounts. The retirement-phase product requires an eligible condition of release and a minimum opening balance. Moving the entire UniSuper balance into a pension ends any insurance or DBD inbuilt benefits attached to the former account.

Sources3
Comparing investment performance

A pension estimate and survivor-benefit terms are more informative than a generic accumulation return.

Sources123

Investment returns describe accumulation investments. The defined-benefit component uses a formula, rather than crediting the chosen market return to an account. A DBD-versus-accumulation decision cannot be reduced to two ten-year investment returns.

Keep UniSuper Personal Account and DBD comparisons separate.

Do not display a DBD benefit as a guaranteed investment return or infer its value from accumulation performance.

Sources27
Investment choices

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

Balanced (MySuper) for Personal Account and eligible accumulation products; MySuper does not apply to the DBD or pension.

Accumulation members, Personal Account members and Flexi Pension members can select from UniSuper's investment options. A Defined Benefit Division account has two components: a formula-based defined benefit, whose investments the member cannot choose, and an accumulation component that can use the normal menu.

Sources247
Insurance

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

The insurance position depends on the product. Ordinary insured cover and the inbuilt benefits associated with the Defined Benefit Division should be compared separately. Check the current product PDS and your member statement before making a transfer.

Sources34
Advice and support

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

UniSuper offers advice services covering super and retirement as well as broader financial matters. Advice fee deductions have rules, limits and consent requirements; an agreement to pay an adviser is not a universal feature that applies the same way to every product.

Sources56
Fee details to check

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

Compare Personal Account with other public accumulation products, using the cost of the chosen investment option. Employer products, the DBD and retirement-phase Flexi Pension can have different fees. Do not transplant one product's fee figure onto the whole UniSuper brand.

Sources4

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Retirement Benefits Fund

Editorial assessment

A remaining right to an RBF pension can be the most important part of an account. Ask for written confirmation of what would survive a withdrawal or transfer before comparing the balance with another fund.

Who this profile is for

  • Existing Tasmanian RBF members weighing preservation, a lump sum or an eligible pension.

What deserves a closer look

  • This is not a fund open to the general public.
  • Historical pension terms should not be assumed to apply to every member.

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 UniSuper

Editorial assessment

UniSuper belongs on a public-fund shortlist, but the product distinction is essential. For an ordinary Personal Account member, compare the investment menu, cost and service in the usual way. For a DBD member, the more consequential question is what rights, benefits and future entitlements a change would affect.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People outside the university sector who want to compare UniSuper's Personal Account.
  • University-sector members reviewing their specific employer product.
  • Members who want an accumulation account and a pension option with the same provider.

What deserves a closer look

  • The defined-benefit component does not let you choose its underlying investments.
  • Changes involving the DBD can affect benefits that a public-fund comparison table cannot value.
  • Rolling the full account into Flexi Pension can end existing insurance and DBD inbuilt benefits.
  • A product's investment-return history does not predict an individual's formula-based benefit.

Sources23

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

Before choosing between Retirement Benefits Fund and UniSuper

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 Retirement Benefits Fund profile · Read the full UniSuper profile · Choose another comparison