Russell Investments iQ Super
Retail fund
iQ Super combines an age-based default with a sizeable menu of active, indexed and low-carbon investments.
Membership
For Life and employer-based arrangements have their own product terms.
Russell Investments iQ Super vs UniSuper
Compare what each fund offers, then choose investment options to put their published costs and returns side by side.
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.
| Measure | Choose an investment option | MySuper Offering |
|---|---|---|
| Return basis | Choose an option | MySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member |
| 3-year return, per year | Choose an option | 9.80% |
| 5-year return, per year | Choose an option | 6.89% |
| 7-year return, per year | Choose an option | 7.41% |
| 10-year return, per year | Choose an option | 8.11% |
| APRA strategic growth allocation | Choose an option | 76.73% |
| Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000 | Choose 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 test | Choose an option | Pass |
| New-member status at reporting date | Check the current product eligibility rules | Check 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
| What to compare | Russell Investments iQ Super | UniSuper |
|---|---|---|
| Membership and access | For Life and employer-based arrangements have their own product terms. 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 | iQ Super and iQ Retirement. 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 |
| Investment choices | GoalTracker is the age-based MySuper default. The menu also includes diversified, sector, responsible and third-party indexed options. Sources123 | 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 | Insurance applications and terms differ by membership and employer plan. Sources123 | 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 |
| Retirement income | iQ Retirement includes pension and transition-to-retirement arrangements. 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 |
| Advice and support | Member resources include retirement support and advice; confirm the scope and fee for your request. Sources123 | 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 | Use the PDS and plan booklet for the precise iQ product. Employer pricing must not be assigned to every iQ member. Sources123 | 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 |
| Comparing investment performance | GoalTracker changes exposure with age. Compare the correct stage and use the same fee basis as the competing option. 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 |
THE SUPERGURU VIEW
Our take on Russell Investments iQ Super
A useful candidate for someone who wants Russell's investment range or an employer plan with negotiated terms.
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
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.
Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.
Before choosing between Russell Investments iQ Super 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 Russell Investments iQ Super profile · Read the full UniSuper profile · Choose another comparison
Sources for Russell Investments iQ Super
Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.
Sources for UniSuper
Checked 2026-09-11. Documents and product terms can change after this date.