Direct Investment option

The securities listed in the S&P/ASX 300 Index represent the 300 largest companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) according to market capitalisation. These securities make up approximately 80% of the Australian equity market and cover a range of sectors including financials, materials, consumer staples, industrials, energy, telecommunications, health care, consumer discretionary, utilities and information technology.

Minimum investment time frame
7 to 10 years. 

Risk level
High

^{The risk level is based on the Standard Risk measure. Refer to the relevant PDS for more details.}

ETFs are funds that invest in a number of securities. They usually attempt to reflect the performance of a particular index or benchmark by investing in a range of securities that make up that index or benchmark. The index or benchmark may be Australian shares, overseas shares, fixed interest or a commodity, for example.

The following ETFs are available in our DIO:

ETFs and LICs are listed on the ASX but may have exposure to foreign-listed securities, property, fixed interest securities and commodities. They may also hold short positions in securities. To find out more, please read the PDS or other disclosure document available from the website of the ETF or LIC issuer.

Minimum investment time frame
7 to 10 years

Risk level 
High. 
^{This risk level is based on the Standard Risk Measure. Refer to the relevant PDS for more details.} 

LICs are traded on a stock exchange, like shares and ETFs. They generally invest in shares of companies that are also listed on the stock exchange.

The following LICs are available in our DIO:

ETFs and LICs are listed on the ASX but may have exposure to foreign-listed securities, property, fixed interest securities and commodities. They may also hold short positions in securities. To find out more, please read the PDS or other disclosure document available from the website of the ETF or LIC issuer.

Minimum investment time frame
7 to 10 years

Risk level
High. 
^{This risk level is based on the Standard Risk Measure. Refer to the relevant PDS for more details.} 

Term deposits are investments with an interest rate that is fixed for a nominated term.

Members can invest in a range of term deposits via the DIO for a variety of different terms.

The interest rates shown above are current as at 25 October 2024 but are subject to change. The latest advertised rates are available in the DIO portal, which you can access through Member Online. 

Minimum investment time frame
1 year or less

Risk level
Very low. 
^{This risk level is based on the Standard Risk Measure. Please refer to the relevant PDS for more details.} 

The DIO will not suit everyone. It’s not suitable for members who:

• have a short investment time frame, or
• may need access to their money at short notice (e.g. to pay for insurance fees or make withdrawals).

Investors should consider the following before deciding whether DIO is appropriate for them:

• You’ll be responsible for managing your investments. You’ll need to have a reasonable understanding of investing and how markets work.
• The DIO is only available through Member Online, and all transaction correspondence will be sent to you by email. You need to have access to a computer and email in order to manage your investments in the DIO.
• Listed investments are likely to experience volatility in the short term. How you react to market volatility can make a big difference to your retirement savings over the long-term.
• Future transactions such as fees and withdrawals can’t be paid out of your DIO investments. You should consider whether you think you may need withdrawals when deciding how much to invest in DIO.
• If you need to break a term deposit early, you may incur costs and you may need to wait up to 31 days to access your money.
• Making investment decisions in response to your emotions, or trading too frequently, can adversely affect your performance outcomes.
• CareSuper staff can’t provide advice on the DIO. If you need professional advice, it may come at a cost.

You must keep at least $500 in your DIO Cash account at all times.

• If you have a CareSuper super account - you must keep at least $6,000 of your account balance in other investment options at all times.
• If you have a Flexible Income account – you must keep at least $6,000 or 10% of your account balance in other investment options at all times (whichever is the greater).

Your DIO investments may be sold to meet these requirements.

Additional rules apply, depending on the investments you choose.

When transacting in the DIO:

• A minimum trade value of $500 applies to listed securities, although if the value of a listed investment that you hold falls below $500 you are allowed to sell the investment.
• The minimum you can invest in a single term deposit is generally $5,000, however it may be higher depending on the provider. The maximum you can invest in term deposits depends on the provider.
• The cut-off time for switch requests into, out of and within the DIO is 2pm AEST/AEDT on a business day. Requests received after the cut-off times or submitted online on a national public holiday or weekend will be processed effective the following business day.

We also enforce a few rules to make sure your account is diversified. These include:

• You can’t invest more than 75% of your total account balance in listed securities (shares, ETFs and LICs)
• You can’t invest more than 20% of your total account balance in a single listed security.

Read the Investment Guide for full terms and conditions.

Extra fees apply to this option.
For more details about fees that apply to CareSuper products, please see Super fees and costs or Retirement fees and costs.

DIO administration fee
A DIO administration fee of $120 each year is deducted from your account.
This is calculated daily and deducted at the end of each month from your account.
This fee is in addition to the administration fees you pay on your CareSuper account and will be deducted in accordance with your instruction for future transactions (it won’t be deducted from your DIO investments).

Brokerage fees for listed securities
Brokerage fees apply when trading in listed securities available via the DIO.

¹Brokerage fees have been rounded to two decimal places.

Brokerage is an additional fee paid at the time of trade. Brokerage will either be added to the cost of purchase or deducted from the sale proceeds of each transaction. 

Fees for breaking a term deposit prior to maturity

If you hold a term deposit in the DIO and you request to break it before it matures, the term deposit provider may charge a fee or reduce the interest you receive.

For more details, read the Direct investment option guide. 

Fees and costs for ETFs and LICs

Fees and costs may apply to the ETFs and LICs offered in the DIO. They are charged or incurred by the ETF or LIC issuer as an annual percentage for managing investments.

When you choose an ETF or LIC via the DIO, you should consider any costs that will be charged by ETF or LIC issuers, as these are in addition to the fees and costs shown in this document.

The costs for ETFs and LICs range from an estimated 0.03% to 2.00% per year, based on the experience for the financial year ending 30 June 2024, and may change from time to time because of changes in the ETF or LIC issuer’s fees from year to year.

To find out more, check the relevant PDS or other disclosure documents available from the website of each ETF or LIC issuer.

As all investments in the DIO are made via CareSuper, you benefit from the concessional tax treatment applicable to super investments.

To find out how tax is applied to the DIO, you’ll need to read the How super works guide if you’re a CareSuper super member, or the Retirement Income PDS if you hold a Flexible Income account.

Yes, you can directly transfer your existing DIO investments from your CareSuper super account when you start a CareSuper Retirement Income, as long as you choose a Flexible Income account. So, there’s no need to sell your DIO investments and buy them again.

You can choose to transfer your DIO investments when completing the Open a Retirement Income account form in the Retirement Income PDS. We’ll process your transfer as part of your new account set-up.