Chris Bourke MLA and Andrew Leigh MP have joined forces to try and get the benighted folk of Belconnen to gather their superannuation into one big pile rather than scattered and looted for fees by the pirates of the finance sector (in one big pile you’re only looted by one pirate under the rules of the game).
“Canberrans are owed more than $240 million in unclaimed superannuation. There is an opportunity cost in lost future earnings. If you have too many accounts the administration charges mount up,” said Mr Leigh.
“According to a national survey, people living in the Belconnen suburbs covered by the 2615 postcode are owed more than $45 million so our campaign will start there.”
Dr Bourke said that the survey found more than 46 per cent of Australians were missing part of their superannuation. On average there is one lost super account for every two working Australians. Nearly 16 per cent of people surveyed knew they had unclaimed super but did not know how to act on it.
“Some of the suburbs with the highest amounts of unclaimed super include Charnwood, Spence and Holt so we will be visiting shopping centres in those suburbs and surrounding areas to show people how easy it is to find their lost super.”
The Australian Taxation Office has a Superseeker tool on its website to help people find their lost and unclaimed super and transfer it into one account. This service is free and a phone service is also available 24 hours a day.