There are dozens of super fund providers and thousands of investment choices on offer which can make selecting the right fund for you a long process.  Only history will tell if you have made the right selection. However, there are some voodoo principles that can help you make the right decision

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1. If you’re young, consider ratcheting up your risk – with a longer investment time horizon such as 30-40 years you’ll ride out many downturns and achieve average or higher returns.
2. Choose low fee funds – fees compounded over years equals $1000’s of dollars less in your final balance.
3. Consider the motivation of the fund – not for profit or profit for shareholders.
4. Consider the size of the fund – do they have a enough staff to carry out all the due diligence required or are you paying for a plethora of paper shufflers.
5. Are you going to be in accumulation mode or drawing down your super?
6. Is past performance the best predictor of future performance or is past performance no guidance for future returns.
7. Should you outsource the decision to a professional advisor or do you do your own research peer reviewed by the confirmation bias.
8. Is your occupation given preferential treatment by the fund?
9. Is having a specific insurance option important to you?
10. Should you just accept chance, presentation and luck are as good as any other factors to a successful outcome or go with a high conviction sales pitch.

P.S. don’t forget to check out the ATO MySuper comparison site.  In the spirit of John Howard, I make no apologies for this article.

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