Aware Super gains adviser-ready fund accreditation
Mon, 13th Apr 2026
Aware Super has received Adviser-Ready Fund accreditation under a framework developed by the Financial Advice Association Australia and Chant West. It is one of three profit-to-member funds to gain the status.
The accreditation assesses super funds against 24 adviser-focused criteria developed with input from practising advisers. Funds must meet at least 16 measures covering access to client information, advisers' ability to transact on behalf of clients, advice fee deduction processes, digital authorisations and dedicated adviser support.
For Aware Super, the recognition reflects changes to its adviser systems and support structure. Key factors included upgrades to its Adviser Portal, including direct data feeds into Xplan, online adviser registration, digital client authorities, broader transaction functions and simpler advice fee deduction processes.
The development comes as the number of Aware Super members using independent financial advisers has grown sharply. Client numbers in that channel have almost doubled since June 2024.
Aware Super has 1.2 million members and about AUD $208 billion in funds under management. It describes its advice offering as a layered model, with digital tools and educational material for simpler decisions, personal advice for more complex needs, and retirement-focused advice and income options for members approaching or in retirement.
The adviser accreditation adds to another external recognition already held by the fund. It also holds the Epic Retirement Institute's Epic Retirement Tick, making it one of two profit-to-member funds to hold both accreditations.
Advice focus
The new framework reflects a broader push to improve how superannuation funds work with independent advisers. Advisers have long cited operational issues such as data access, authority handling and fee processing as friction points when dealing with large funds on behalf of clients.
By tying accreditation to specific operating standards, the framework aims to provide a clearer benchmark for adviser usability across the sector. In practice, it measures not investment outcomes, but whether advisers can access information, complete transactions and manage client arrangements without avoidable delays.
Aware Super also provides advisers with access to a national Business Development Manager network and a specialist Adviser Engagement and Support team. Those functions sit alongside the digital changes to the fund's adviser systems.
The recognition is notable because profit-to-member funds have historically faced scrutiny from parts of the advice industry over service standards and integration with adviser workflows. Accreditation under an adviser-led framework may help some funds demonstrate improvement in those processes.
Member journey
Steve Travis, Group Executive Member Growth at Aware Super, said the award reflected how the fund supports members through different stages of their financial lives while reducing administrative barriers for advisers.
"The Adviser Ready Fund accreditation recognises the practical investments we've made to support independent financial advisers - from improving digital access and transaction capability through to providing dedicated adviser support," Travis said.
He linked the result to the fund's broader advice model and retirement offering.
"When combined with the Epic Retirement Tick, it reflects our focus on meeting members where they are in their advice journey, whether they're looking for straightforward guidance or more comprehensive retirement advice, and supporting advisers to deliver that advice efficiently," he said.
The accreditation framework is intended to strengthen alignment between the superannuation and financial advice sectors. For funds, it creates an external measure of operational readiness for adviser interaction. For advisers, it offers another signal of which funds may be easier to work with when serving shared clients.
Aware Super's inclusion among the small group of accredited profit-to-member funds underlines the growing importance of service infrastructure, alongside investment scale, in competing for members who use professional financial advice.