Does governance structure influence pension fund fees and costs? An examination of Australian not-for-profit superannuation funds

Tan, Monica G.S., and Cam, Marie-Anne (2015) Does governance structure influence pension fund fees and costs? An examination of Australian not-for-profit superannuation funds. Australian Journal of Management, 40 (1). pp. 114-134.

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Abstract

The importance of managed fund governance structures has become apparent in recent years. Looking at the Australian not-for-profit pension funds, we find correlations between funds’ internal governance structures and their level of costs. Larger boards are linked to higher investment management fees and expenses, operating expenses and trustee and audit fees. We also find a positive relation between the proportion of independent trustees and investment management fees and expenses and operating expenses. These fund costs increase as the number of board committees and fund size increase. Finally, we observe that the presence of board committees affects different types of fund costs. Overall, these findings suggest that the conventional good governance practices do not benefit superannuation fund members in terms of cost reduction. We find no evidence of economies of scale in cost minimisation, since the relation between fund size and costs is mixed across various governance variables.

Item ID: 72977
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1327-2020
Copyright Information: © The Author(s) 2014
Date Deposited: 02 Jan 2024 00:34
FoR Codes: 35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3502 Banking, finance and investment > 350202 Finance @ 100%
SEO Codes: 11 COMMERCIAL SERVICES AND TOURISM > 1102 Financial services > 110203 Superannuation and insurance services @ 100%
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