Two shows: Choosing the right superfund in 2026 - the Epic Retirement Tick criteria are changing with David Bell and Ian Fryer
And "The cost of retirement just went up: here’s what you need to know" with Mary Delahunty
From Bec’s Desk …
Well hello and happy Thursday! Prime Time podcast day!
We’ve got two huge episodes this week to talk about, and they’re both important so make sure you make the time to listen.
Firstly, we’ve released the 2026/27 criteria for the Epic Retirement Tick, and I’ve asked both Ian Fryer, from Chant West and David Bell from The Conexus Institute to pull them apart with me on the show. We’re going to explain how you can review your superfund in the year ahead and how we’ll be running the tick review. (Download the new criteria at epicretirement.net/epictick).
Secondly, the cost of a comfortable retirement leapt this week - by $35k for singles and $40k for couples. So we got Mary Delahunty from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) on the show to explain why the cost of all retirements is going up - and we talk about modest retirements and renters’ retirements too. This show dropped on Tuesday. It’s a goodie.
Alongside these two, it’s been a busy week. We’ve got two courses running - the Epic Retirement Flagship Course and the HESTA Exclusive Edition of the course. It’s kept me entertained in live-online-events in the evenings.
And in the daytimes, I’ve been to Sydney and back, recording an industry briefing for The Epic Retirement Tick that we’ll release next week too - an important insight for funds, advisers and others in the industry that want a more detailed walk through of the new criteria. Because, let’s face it, this tick is the only rigorous, transparent consumer-oriented assessment that everyday people can really use to assess their fund at retirement. It’s getting a lot of support, momentum and discussion in the industry as people can see it making a difference - and I know I speak for both Ian and myself and our teams when I say, that’s exciting.
So - I hope you enjoy these shows and get something from each of them.
Got thoughts? Share them here.
More on each episode below.
Until next week - Make your Prime Time count - then have an Epic Retirement!
Cheers - Bec Xx
and PS - I did my first pickleball lesson on the weekend - more on this very soon. But it was awesome! If you’ve found pickleball already - give this post a big 👍.
Choosing the right superfund in 2026: the criteria are changing
If you’ve ever looked at your super fund and thought, “Is this actually delivering for my retirement… or just delivering great ads?” – this episode is for you.
Today is a major update to the Epic Retirement Tick for 2026.
I’m joined by Ian Fryer, General Manager of Chant West, who works with me to develop the rigorous criteria and together with his team, assess the funds. And David Bell, Executive Director of the Conexus Institute – one of Australia’s leading independent retirement policy voices and think tanks.
We go deeper than just explaining what’s changed. We unpack why the criteria matter – and the impact the Tick is already having inside super funds.
Because here’s the problem…
Over the past few years, I realised there was a real gap for people heading into retirement. If you’re a member of a super fund right now, how do you actually know if it’s delivering for your retirement?
Every fund says they are. Every ad says they are.
But when you look closely, there are big differences. Some funds are building serious retirement capability - some awesome stuff for their members to use. Others are moving much more slowly. And everyday Australians can’t see the difference.
Because I don’t hold a financial services licence, I can’t tell you which funds are good or bad. So instead of giving opinions (that would be finfluencing and that’s illegal), we built a framework you can use to judge, and we can use to rigorously assess the funds, transparently.
We launched the Epic Retirement Tick in 2025. Only six funds were awarded the Tick. Now we’re back with updated criteria for 2026.
The big shift?
The framework moves to 20 criteria (up from 18) and aligns with the latest Treasury Retirement Income Covenant guidance. They also put pressure on funds to deliver better products, services and advice for members approaching retirement.
In this episode, Ian and David help break down what’s changed – and what it means for you.
You can download the new 2026 criteria on the main website for the Epic Retirement Tick here: epicretirement.net/epictick
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the conversation:
Why it’s so hard for everyday people to tell the difference between super fund ads and real retirement capability
What the Epic Retirement Tick is (and why it’s designed to lift the bar across the whole industry)
What’s changed this year: 20 criteria (up from 18), now more robust and more focused
The three buckets every fund is assessed on:
Product design
Education, guidance and advice
Service delivery
What it now takes to earn the Tick: 14 out of 20
Why we’re still not naming the funds that miss out (for now)
The “behind the scenes” truth: the Tick is already pushing retirement projects up the funding and priority list inside funds
The service standards that matter when you’re actually retiring: speed, call centre responsiveness, payment efficiency, complaints handling, and cyber security
This episode is for anyone who just wants a straight answer to one question:
Is my fund actually doing the job I need it to do for retirement?
If you want to see the criteria, we’ll make it available on the Epic Retirement Institute website at www.epicretirement.net/epictick.
The cost of retirement just went up; Here’s what you need to know
For the first time in three years, ASFA has lifted the lump sum needed for a “comfortable” and a “modest” retirement. The headlines say Australians may now need $35k–$40k more in super than previously estimated for a comfortable retirement and $10-$20k more for a modest retirement.
So… what changed?
In this episode, I sit down with Mary Delahunty, CEO of ASFA, the creators of these benchmarks to unpack the new Retirement Standard, why the benchmark moved, and what it actually means for your future plans.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the conversation:
Why the comfortable retirement target jumped for the first time in three years
The real reason retirees are feeling cost pressure (hint: it’s not just CPI)
The updated lump sums for comfortable, modest and renters
The annual spending numbers that matter more than the headline figure
How much the Age Pension really does in a modest retirement
What “comfortable” actually includes (and no, it’s not luxury Europe every year)
Deeming rates explained in plain English
How ASFA builds the Retirement Standard using real spending data
The big fear: “Will my super run out?” – and how the system is designed to prevent that
If you’re 5–10 years out from retirement and just getting comfortable with your numbers, this episode will steady you.