News

The Government announced it will extend concessional tax treatment to deferred lifetime annuities from 1 July 2014. Under this reform DLAs will receive the same tax treatment as other super products with supporting income streams. DLAs are purchased for an upfront premium and then begin to generate payments when the client reaches median life expectancy.  Deferred lifetime annuities provide pure longevity insurance for clients in their later stages of life and can free up advisers to focus on investing the balance of super between retirement and when DLA payments take effect. Read more.

Annuity provider and fund manager Challenger Limited increases assets under management to $40.9 billion in the March quarter. Read more.

The Government has announced a package of measures to improve Australia's superannuation system. Removing current regulatory blockages for deferred lifetime annuities will help to manage increasing longevity risk currently facing Australians. Read more.

Independent research house Lonsec has rated Challenger's entire suite of annuity products 'Approved'. Read more.

Independent data and ratings provider, Canstar, has recognised the Care Annuity in its 2012 Innovation Excellence Awards. The awards recognise financial services products on their degree of innovation and market impact. The Care Annuity beat 43 other financial product submissions across banking, insurance and wealth management.

At the 2012 Plan for Life/AFA awards, Challenger was named Overall Annuity Provider of the Year, Long Term Income Stream Provider of the Year and Income Stream Innovation Provider of the Year. For more information, view Plan for Life's media release.

Australia's largest annuities provider and top 10 fund manager Challenger Limited has increased its total assets under management by 29% to $38 billion in the six months to 31 December 2012. Read the ASX release.

Leading super fund QSuper and Challenger have launched a new guaranteed term annuity product. Under this arrangement, QSuper members will have access to a broad range of term annuities which provide more certain retirement income. Read more.

Challenger and Bendigo Wealth have struck a partnership under which Challenger's Liquid Lifetime annuities will be offered to Bendigo clients under the Bendigo brand. Read more.

Independent research house Zenith Investment Partners has rated Challenger's entire suite of annuity products as 'Recommended'.

The Australian Marketing Institute has recognised Challenger's Real Stories advertising campaign by awarding it the Marketing Program of the Year and National Winner, Marketing Communications (Business to Business), saying the company dealt with the issue of retirement savings in the wake of the GFC in an engaging and sensitive way. View all award winners.

Challenger Limited Board Director, Brenda Shanahan, has been recognised in the Australian Financial Review & Westpac's 100 Women of Influence awards in the category of Board/Management.

The company reported strong September quarter sales figures and total assets and funds under management growth of 28% from 12 months ago. View the ASX release.

The AFR has published an article by Jeremy Cooper in which he urges those debating superannuation policy to take into account the importance of retirees' cashflows. Read our guide on how to protect savings against sequencing risk.

Record total annuity product sales of $2.66 billion, up 35%. Read the market release.

New prudential regulations aimed at protecting policyholders from the effects of 1:200 year adverse shocks will increase annuities' capital-backing, giving policyholders even greater peace of mind. The new standards affect all life and general insurers and in Challenger's case will be phased in over three years.

Challenger's Jeremy Cooper was invited to speak to Australia's superannuation funds about why retirement is different at a recent conference held in Sydney. View video>>

Challenger won best advertising campaign of the year, while Fidante Partners' boutique, NovaPort Capital, won small caps and rising star awards. Congratulations to Fidante Partners' boutiques, Alphinity and Five Oceans, who were also nominated as finalists.

Challenger's new login sites offer more functionality and an enhanced user experience for investors and advisers. To log in, click on the login icons at the top right of this screen.

The Association of Financial Advisers and actuaries Plan for Life have recognised Challenger with three industry awards - Annuity Provider of the Year, Income Stream Innovation Award and Long Term Income Stream Award.

The SMSF Professionals' Association of Australia (SPAA) recently invited Jeremy Cooper to discuss his views on managing longevity for SMSF members.

Annuity sales for the half-year reached $1.27 billion, an increase of 74%. Read the market release.

Challenger and National Seniors Australia are working together to improve the retirement lifestyle of the over 50s. Read more...

Challenger's Investor Relations team has been awarded Best Mid-Cap Investor Relations at the 2011 Australasian Investor Relations Association Awards. Read more...

Future Fund Chairman David Murray says that we are only four years into a 20 year period of volatility and low growth. Read more...

David Murray talks about what's right and what's wrong with our superannuation industry. Read more...

Brian Benari is to succeed current CEO Dominic Stevens in February 2012. Read more...

The 2011 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index also cites a 2010 World Bank report suggesting that policy makers should target an adequate but not excessive level of annuitization. Read more...

Challenger's retail annuity sales hit record levels in the 2011 financial year, with the company forecasting strong growth for 2012 as investors continue to seek secure, reliable investment returns. Read more...

Federal Government regulation is planning to raise the compulsory superannuation contribution from 9-12% discusses whether super has delivered, which has caused problems such as local banks borrowing heavily from international markets and leading to increased risk in the economy. Read more...

Challenger's CEO discusses Australia's low exposure to fixed income investments and the implications for our economy. Read more...

Challenger's Liquid Lifetime Annuity was voted the Best Innovation of the Year at Rainmaker's 2011 Sales and Marketing Excellence Awards.

Challenger is currently the clear leader in retirement income products according to the latest Plan for Life data, garnering 45% of all retail investments in the March quarter, 19% more than its nearest competitors.

At the 2011 Money Management/Lonsec Fund Manager of the Year Awards, Alphinity Investment Management was named Rising Star Fund Manager of the Year, while Five Oceans Asset Management was awarded Global Equities Long/Short Fund Manager of the Year. Greencape Capital was a finalist in the Australian Broad Cap category. All three boutiques are distributed and part-owned by Challenger Limited.