Brighter Super among six funds awarded the Epic Retirement Tick 2025

Recognising the funds that are truly ready for retirement

As a retirement educator, I could see what some funds were getting right – and the gaps where others were still falling short or not prioritising retirement much at all. The tricky part is that most people don’t realise there is a gap. Retirement is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you don’t get to evaluate how well your fund supported you until you’re already in it.

The government has tried to nudge funds to do better, but even they acknowledge that progress has been patchy, with many funds still focused on their younger, accumulating members. That’s what inspired me to create the Epic Retirement Tick – a clear, easy-to-understand way to help Australians see which super funds are genuinely ready for retirement, and which ones aren’t there yet.

The Tick transparently assesses 18 key criteria that reflect how well a fund supports members through the entire retirement journey – from advice and education, through to income strategies, products, and service experience. It recognises the funds that are genuinely investing in helping their members live well beyond the day they stop working.

And that’s exactly what Brighter Super has done.

The story behind the Epic Retirement Tick

When I started developing the Epic Retirement Tick, my goal was to fill a gap that had become impossible to ignore. There were plenty of industry ratings systems measuring super funds on investment performance during the working years, but almost nothing assessing how ready those funds were to actually help people retire well.

I partnered with Chant West and together we shared ideas for criteria, so they could run a robust assessment that centred around real people’s needs. Their team brings the data, depth and financial services expertise to assess funds objectively. I bring insight into what retirees actually need when they retire – the pain points, the blind spots, and the areas where real-life experience doesn’t always match the marketing. Together, that combination makes the Tick not just credible, but practical.

And once the results are out, my role doesn’t end there. I educate people on what the Tick means and how to use it – helping Australians make more confident choices about their super and their future. That bridge between rigorous research and real-world understanding is something that’s been missing from almost every ratings system until now.

Why Brighter Super earned the Tick

That’s what makes Brighter Super’s recognition so significant. They didn’t just meet the benchmark, they exceeded it across key areas that truly matter for members entering or living in retirement.

The Epic Retirement Tick report showed that Brighter Super met 13 of the 18 criteria – a rare feat among Australian super funds. It performed strongly across the following areas.

• Competitive long-term performance and fees – delivering strong, sustainable value for members over time.
• Thoughtful investment design – a pre-mixed retirement strategy offering three investment options, including cash, to provide the right mix of growth and stability.
• Comprehensive advice services – from simple guidance right through to complex financial advice, all delivered with reasonable levels of fees.
• Strong service standards – consistent strength across account setup and changes, the contact centre, and payments, all the areas that make a huge difference when you’re retired and relying on your fund for day-to-day support.

These criteria aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re the hallmarks of a fund that’s genuinely designed to help its members live well beyond the day they stop working, a fund that understands retirement isn’t a finish line, but the start of something new.

What it means for you

For members, this recognition is a powerful acknowledgement. It means your fund has been externally assessed and recognised as one that’s working hard towards supporting you as you retire – not just for growing your balance, but for guiding you through the years that follow.

When you see the Epic Retirement Tick, you can feel confident you’re with a fund that’s committed to helping you turn your super into the kind of lifestyle you’ve worked for. Whether that’s through trusted advice, smart tools, or income options designed to last.

Some steps to take knowing this

Finally, knowing all this, I want you to ask yourself: 'So what do I do with it?'

Here’s the thing – transparency is only valuable if you use it. Brighter Super is doing more than most funds to help members prepare for and live well in retirement, but the real benefit comes when you make the most of what’s available to you.

So take a moment to explore what’s on offer from Brighter Super. Have you tried out its retirement calculators? Have you reviewed your investments or explored its pre-mixed retirement options? Have you accessed its advice service, or joined one of its retirement seminars?

These are the kinds of actions that turn Brighter Super’s expertise into your retirement confidence - and your confidence into better retirement outcomes for you - really! Brighter Super has invested in creating strong support systems for members like you. Now’s the time to tap into them and make sure your retirement is every bit as epic as it can be.

About Bec Wilson

Bec Wilson is one of Australia’s most respected authorities on midlife and modern retirement. She’s the bestselling author of How to Have an Epic Retirement, Australia’s #1 bestselling retirement book in 2023, 2024 and 2025 so far and her new bestseller, the prequel, Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the new midlife. She is also the host of the Prime Time podcast. She runs Australia’s only 6-week retirement education program, and writes a weekly newsletter at epicretirement.net more than 80,000 readers.

Visit Bec Wilson's website at becwilson.net.