The federal government wants a change in attitudes to the way super funds make "dignified retirement" easier or harder. At the moment, people use super funds mostly as ways to save but the government is looking for ways to get people to use them to provide reliable incomes between retirement and the end of their lives. That means, according to government insiders, a change of mindset among people as they age but also a change of attitude in the industry where, in the government's view, not enough of the right products or the right advice are on offer. Too many people, the government feels, die with money still in their supers. They might be better off seeking products which guaranteed an income no matter how long they lived - what are called "annuities" in the trade. Under an annuity, a super fund guarantees an income until death. It makes a calculation of a person's life expectancy and promises an income from the super on the basis of that expected period of remaining life. If the person lives longer, he or she still gets the income. But only 3.5 per cent of retirement savings are held as annuities, the government said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers told an industry conference in August that the superannuation funds needed to explain why annuities had not been taken up with "sufficient enthusiasm". Australians have put $3.5 trillion into super funds which, given the size of the country, is large compared to such funds in other countries. READ MORE: "Half of retirees draw down the minimum and, on average, people who draw down the minimum will still have about a quarter of their super remaining when they pass on," he told the industry conference which was part-hosted by The Australian Financial Review. "What that really means is people are living more frugally than they need to. There's not enough confidence in their balances, there's not enough diversity or flexibility in products in the market or literacy or advice or strategies to match people with these products." After the two month discussion period, the government will look at what changes it plans. They may be legislative or changes in regulations.
