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Bendigo SmartStart Super

Bendigo SmartStart Super continues under Betashares ownership. Existing product terms should be assessed separately from any proposed future Betashares super product.

THE OVERVIEW

About Bendigo SmartStart Super

Betashares acquired Bendigo Super in September 2024. The current site retains SmartStart Super and SmartStart Pension resources.

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Who can join

Check current availability for the specific product and option. Certain failed investment options are closed to new members.

Visit the official website

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take

Editorial assessment

Most useful for an existing member reviewing their exact option and current alternatives.

What deserves a closer look

  • Balanced Wholesale and High Growth Index closed to new members on 1 August and 26 August 2025 respectively, according to the current notice.
  • Do not confuse High Growth Index with the Growth Index option in the MySuper lifecycle.

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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 NUMBERS

Fees and investment returns

Use the product, investment option and employer plan on your statement. Lifecycle members need to choose the relevant stage. APRA's investment pathways may include closed options held by existing members.

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.

A CLOSER LOOK

Inside Bendigo SmartStart Super

Accounts and products

Bendigo SmartStart Super and SmartStart Pension.

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Investment choices

MySuper is an age-based strategy using Growth Index, Balanced Index and Conservative Index at different ages, with a separate choice menu.

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Insurance

Insurance is available under the SmartStart policy and guide.

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Retirement income

SmartStart Pension has its own product documentation.

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Advice and support

Use the current support and advice documents to establish services and charges.

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Fee details to check

Use the current PDS and updates; ownership change alone does not establish a fee reduction.

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Comparing investment performance

The current site reports that Bendigo Balanced Wholesale and Bendigo High Growth Index did not pass the 2026 APRA performance test. This finding is option-specific, not a claim about every SmartStart option.

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Features worth considering

An age-based default.

A separate retirement product for existing members.

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THE LEGAL FUND

Fund size in APRA's annual reporting

The Bendigo Superannuation Plan

Total assets$1,515,766,000
Member accounts16,238

At 30 June 2025. These are legal-fund totals, which can include several products and more than one account per person.

APRA annual fund-level statistics, June 2025. These older totals can differ substantially after mergers. Size is not a measure of suitability or investment quality.

Sources for Bendigo SmartStart Super

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

  1. Current options and 2026 test notice
  2. Ownership FAQs
  3. Insurance guide