Household savings and retirement

Household savings and retirement

Where has all my super gone?

A report on superannuation and retirement for CPA Australia

KELLYresearch October 2012

CPA Australia Ltd (`CPA Australia') is one of the world's largest accounting bodies representing more than 139,000 members of the financial, accounting and business profession in 114 countries.

For information about CPA Australia, visit our website .au

First published CPA Australia Ltd ACN 008 392 452 Level 20, 28 Freshwater Place Southbank Vic 3006 Australia

ISBN: 978-1-921742-35-4

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Contents

Foreword

2

Author note

3

Executive summary

4

Introduction

6

Data sources

7

The retirement income system

8

Expectations and adequacy

9

Trends

11

Social

11

Labour force

11

Homeownership

13

Impact of the trends on retirement

15

Savings

16

Household wealth

18

Superannuation

22

Debt

26

Retirement

28

Savings and debt before and after retirement

28

Debt, superannuation and retirement

31

Discussion

34

Wealth and savings

34

Expectation gap

34

Has compulsory superannuation helped people to save more?

34

Retirement outlook ? post GFC

35

Superannuation and the age pension

36

Conclusion

37

References

38

Appendix A Definitions and technical notes

39

1

Foreword

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the commencement of the compulsory Superannuation Guarantee (SG) system in Australia. Also given that compulsory SG contributions are increasing from 9 to 12 per cent from 1 July 2013, it is timely to reflect on and question the effectiveness and appropriateness of Australia's compulsory superannuation system, and whether it has delivered on its policy objectives.

Traditional arguments supporting our superannuation system will highlight the benefits provided, such as increased GDP; greater access to capital for Australian companies and banks; greater investments in infrastructure and venture capital; and providing a much needed buffer against the full impact of the global financial crisis. However has our compulsory superannuation system met its primary policy objectives of boosting the retirement savings of Australians, boosting their self-reliance in retirement and reducing their reliance on the age pension?

This question is particularly pertinent in the current constrained fiscal environment where concerns are being raised about the appropriateness of the tax concessions ? some $30 billion each year and growing ? being provided to encourage superannuation savings and how they are targeted. Is Australia receiving an appropriate return on our collective investment in superannuation or should the government be spending our money somewhere else?

This report is the first in a series by CPA Australia examining the effectiveness of our compulsory superannuation system. In particular, it looks at the impact of superannuation on household savings and debt. It considers whether compulsory superannuation has boosted net household savings and placed individuals in a better financial position for retirement.

The short answer is that Australia's compulsory superannuation has failed to deliver on some of its core objectives. Between 2002 and 2010, superannuation balances, property and other assets have undoubtedly grown. However, a surprising appetite for personal debt has eroded both compulsory superannuation and the benefits of strong asset price inflation for those now approaching retirement.

People approaching 65 have sharply increased their debt levels. Their average mortgage balance and other property debt has more than doubled since 2002 and credit card debt is up 70 per cent.

Remarkably, people aged 50 to 54 are tracking down a similar path ? with a ratio of debt to superannuation of 91%. Even those people close to pension age had a debt to superannuation ratio of 42 per cent.

Between 2002 and 2010 average superannuation balances across all age groups grew 42 per cent. Property assets grew 60 per cent and other assets rose 17 per cent. But the accumulation of assets has been accompanied by a 94 per cent increase in property debt and a 50 per cent increase in other debt.

Perhaps the most striking evidence in the research is the savings patterns of people approaching retirement. In the broad 50 to 64 age bracket, household superannuation grew by 48 per cent, property assets grew by 58 per cent and other assets by only 3 per cent. Yet property debt rose 123 per cent in that period and other debt grew 43 per cent.

Lump sum superannuation benefits are being treated as a windfall and being used to pay for the lifestyle that's been lived now instead of being put aside to provide income in retirement.

Some twenty years after the introduction of the superannuation guarantee it is clear that Australia's retirement savings policy is not delivering on its policy intent. At best, all it has achieved is to make some savings compulsory instead of voluntary, and quarantine these savings until retirement age. Overall, these enforced savings, locked up until a person retires have been largely offset by similar if not larger private borrowings.

The government is effectively funding a $30 billion per annum tax concession that will do little if anything to relieve pressure on the cost of providing the age pension to retirees and the impact on the public purse.

Policy measures must be considered to ensure superannuation savings are being invested to be used to fund a person's retirement. Measures such as lifting the preservation age may further boost superannuation savings, but based on this research it will inevitably only defer the use of accumulated superannuation to extinguish household debt.

Serious consideration must be given to limiting the amount of superannuation that can be taken as a lump sum and encouraging income streams in retirement. Given the compulsory nature of the system, it is not unreasonable to consider the use of compulsory income streams in retirement.

We need to break our love affair with lump-sum superannuation and move away from the "lump sum as a windfall" mentality if our retirement savings system is to succeed.

Alex Malley FCPA CEO, CPA Australia

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Author note

This report was written by Professor Simon Kelly, the director of KELLYresearch, a Gold Coast-based economics research firm. KELLYresearch is a small, independent, economic research firm based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Professor Kelly was formerly a Principal Research Fellow in the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) at the University of Canberra and is now an adjunct professor. He has published research on superannuation, wealth, intergenerational transfers and the impact of illness on labour force participation.

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