Superannuation primarily helps you to save for your retirement, but it can also serve an important purpose such as allowing you access to valuable insurance, often without the need for underwriting. This is particularly important for people with pre-existing conditions, who may otherwise be charged much higher premiums or denied coverage altogether.

You may have access to several types of insurance in the Mercer Super Trust. While there are different types of coverage, they all share a common goal of wanting to provide financial security for you and your loved ones if something ever happens to you.

Get the right insurance cover

Although having insurance is an important first step, the key to financial security is ensuring you have a level of coverage appropriate for your personal circumstances. Unfortunately, research indicates that a significant number of Australians are currently underinsured¹

By taking steps to review and, if necessary, update your cover, you can enjoy peace of mind that you and your loved ones will be better looked after.

Mercer Super’s insurance offering

Life is unpredictable, and, depending on what happens, different types of insurance may be appropriate. It’s because of this we offer three types of cover:

Apply for or review your insurance cover

You can check, update and apply for insurance cover in the insurance section of the Dashboard of your online account. If you’re thinking of updating your cover, we recommend seeking financial advice prior to making any changes.

Our Helpline Advice team can provide financial advice about your super fund at no additional cost. You can make an appointment with this team by calling our Helpline on 1800 682 525 between 8am-7pm (AEST/AEDT), Monday-Friday.

Determining the appropriate level of cover

The key to any type of insurance is ensuring that your level of cover is appropriate for your personal circumstances. Having too little could leave you and your loved ones struggling to make ends meet if something happens to you, whereas having too much could mean higher premiums needlessly drain your super balance, leaving you with a lower balance when you retire..

When it comes to how much cover you need, there is no ‘one-size fits all’ figure. Determining the amount of cover that’s appropriate for you requires you to take into consideration personal circumstances such as, but not limited to, annual income, dependent children, as well as any mortgages and other debts.

To help you determine how much cover you may need we’ve made available a calculator from one of our insurers, AIA Australia, which can take into account your circumstances to provide you with an idea of the level of cover you may need.

Benefits to insurance in super

In addition to helping provide financial security for you and your loved ones, there are other benefits to having insurance within your super account:

• Premiums are automatically paid from your super balance, so there’s no need to remember to pay them or factor them into your everyday budget.
• Automatic and default cover is often provided without the need for underwriting and health-related checks.
• Benefit from being a member of the Mercer Tailor Super Plan and having AIA Insurance, by getting access to the AIA Vitality Starter program.²

What if I have existing insurance cover?

We also offer members the option to transfer insurance they hold with another super fund into their Mercer Super Trust account. You can do this by completing the ‘Individual Insurance Transfer application’ form

Please note that you should wait to receive written confirmation that your request to transfer your existing cover to your Mercer Super Trust account has been approved prior to rolling over your other super fund or cancelling your existing insurance.

Default insurance

Insurance coverage such as Death and TPD are often provided automatically when you open a Mercer Super Trust account as part of an employer plan. This coverage is provided without the need for you to go through underwriting. Although the coverage amount is typically based on factors such as age and income, it does not take into account any of your personal circumstances.

It’s important to note that this coverage may not automatically be applied to your account, as it is subject to the ‘Putting Members’ Interests First’ legislation outlined below, as well as other terms and conditions as outlined in the Product Disclosure Statement.

Rules relating to insurance within super

On 1 July 2019 the Australian Government passed a set of legislative reforms that were designed to ensure members’ balances weren’t eroded by premiums for cover they were either unaware of or didn’t require.

• Protecting Your Super

  Under the Protecting Your Super legislation, if your super account doesn’t receive any contributions or rollovers for 16 consecutive months we are required to cancel your cover unless you tell us otherwise. We will write to you prior to cancelling any cover, providing you the opportunity to retain it.

  
  

• Putting Members’ Interests First

  Under the Putting Members’ Interests First legislation super funds are unable to automatically place default cover on your account if you are under age 25 or have an account balance under $6000. If you are under age 25, or have an account balance under $6000 and would like default cover, please log in to your online account and complete the ‘Adjusting your insurance cover’ form located in the ‘Documents’ section.

Fact sheets

For more information about the automatic insurance cover offered through your super or exploring other insurance options that’s right for you, please refer to the fact sheet applicable to your Plan:.

• Fact sheet: Insurance through participating employer Plans - Corporate Superannuation Division
• Fact sheet: Insurance for Mercer SmartSuper Plan - Individual Section

We’ve also put together some answers to these FAQs about insurance through your super.

Frequently asked questions

Below is a list of frequently asked questions to help you navigate the complex topic of insurance.

^{1. Rice Warner - New research shows a large underinsurance gap}

^{2.The AIA Health & Wellbeing Content Hub is available for both insured and uninsured members. AIA Vitality Starter is available only to insured Mercer Tailored Super member}.

^{This document has been prepared and sent on behalf of Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited (‘Mercer Super’), ABN 79 004 717 533, Australian Financial Services Licence #235906, the trustee of the Mercer Super Trust ABN 19 905 422 981. Any advice contained in this document is of a general nature only, and does not take into account the personal needs and circumstances of any particular individual. Prior to acting on any information contained in this document, you need to take into account your own financial circumstances. Please consider the Product Disclosure Statement, Product Guide, Insurance Guide, and Financial Services Guide before making a decision about the product, or seek professional advice from a licensed, or appropriately authorised financial adviser if you are unsure of what action to take. 'MERCER' is a registered trademark of Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 32 005 315 917. Copyright 2024 Mercer LLC. All rights reserved.}