Michelle Lusty

Midwinter’s digital advice capabilities have enabled Future Group to deliver more accessible, personalised retirement advice to over 400,000 members, improving outcomes through a seamless and cost-effective digital experience.

In partnership with Midwinter, Future Group is bringing enterprise-grade digital advice technology to its 400,000+ super and insurance members across six brands, rolling out first with Future Super which is now live.

The partnership enables personalised, compliant retirement advice at scale, without the cost and complexity that has traditionally made quality advice inaccessible for everyday Australians.

“We’ve had a collaborative approach from the outset, allowing us to focus on a clear and collective vision: how we guide our members to a sustainable retirement, while also considering their individual circumstances and goals,” said Rosh Singappuli, general manager partnerships and advice at Future Group.

The technology has been deployed to work seamlessly inside the Future Super member app. Member details are pre-populated into the digital journey, and the results are passed back to the app to reduce friction and build member confidence. By enabling digital self-service for straightforward advice needs, Future Super’s adviser team can focus on members with complex requirements, improving both efficiency and service quality.

Phase 1 delivers the Pre-Retirement journey. This enables members, through a complete advice ecosystem, to:

• Access retirement projections based on their personal circumstances 
• Explore wealth accumulation strategies tailored to their goals and risk tolerance
• Receive real-time guidance on contribution strategies to maximise retirement savings
• Adjust investment strategy based on their preferences and risk appetite 
• Self-serve through an intuitive, member-led digital experience
• Receive a Statement of Advice produced in real-time
• Access to the public calculator tool for quick initial engagement

“The approach taken by Future Group moves beyond guidance alone. It provides members with clear, personal advice so they can take real action, not just understand their options,” says Singappuli. 

“The energy and drive from the Future Group team to deliver better retirement outcomes to their members has been inspiring,” says Michelle Lusty, head of Midwinter Advice Products.

“The partnership is a signal to the broader superannuation industry: mid-sized funds don’t have to choose between speed and quality when it comes to delivering advice to members, with agile execution setting a new benchmark for digital engagement in Australian super.”

She says the Future Super implementation highlights key advantages for mid-sized superannuation providers:

• Speed to Market: Agile implementation delivers value in months, not years.
• Cost Efficiency: Modular approach enables funds to start with core capabilities and scale strategically.
• Competitive Differentiation: Enterprise-grade digital advice, typically reserved for large funds, now accessible at mid-market scale.
• Member Retention: Enhanced digital engagement drives member satisfaction and fund loyalty.
• Scalable Platform: Foundation for future phases, and supports growth ambitions and multi-brand strategies.

Future Super was the first super fund in Australia to screen out the fossil fuel industry from its investment strategy. Now it’s the first of Future Group’s brands to give members access to tailored retirement advice through a seamless digital experience.

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Melinda Howes

AMP has unveiled the next phase of its digital financial advice solution, with three new retirement sub-journeys and a retirement planner that put members in control.

The latest series of enhancements mean members can now assess and then execute their contributions and investment strategies all from one place, as well as access a super projection to see what changes they should make to help reach their retirement goals.

For the first time, members can explore how selling their home could help grow their super with downsizer strategy support, as well as tax-efficient recontribution advice, helping reduce tax for beneficiaries and increase tax-free retirement savings.

Retirement projections now include actual insurance premiums for a more accurate picture, with clear retirement forecasts allowing members to not only see what their income is looking like in retirement, but also how long it will last – including the benefits of switching on AMP’s Lifetime Boost feature and Age Pension estimates.

Personalised digital experiences driving member engagement

Over 17,500 Retirement Health Check journeys have been completed since January, with over 20,000 members engaging with AMP’s digital financial advice service since its launch.

This marks a 33-fold increase on the total number of members getting guidance on their retirement planning since last year, according to the latest AMP figures[1].

The three new additions available as standalone journeys are:

• Super Projection: See your potential retirement income and how Lifetime Boost can benefit you (if eligible), what Government Age Pension you might get and whether you’re on track to reach your retirement goals
• Contributions Strategy: Make every dollar count for your future by choosing the right contributions to help your super grow as much as possible
• Investment Strategy: Discover the investment options that best match your preferences and see what switching could mean to your retirement income.

The newly-enhanced solution is available through ‘My AMP today’ via either the online portal or app, providing members with flexible access to view their super balance, switch investment options, or make extra contributions.Members can also opt into Lifetime Boost or speak to a qualified human adviser if they need some extra guidance or have more complex needs.

Melinda Howes, AMP Group Executive Superannuation & Investments said: “At AMP, we’re passionate about giving our members greater control and financial confidence to help them retire with higher income.

“We don’t just rely on automation and algorithms – we think about how people actually feel and behave when making financial decisions. That means going beyond general advice or one-size-fits-all retirement calculators, with advice and education tailored to each member.

“We’ve seen an incredible uplift in the numbers of members engaging with our service and we’ve made some great strides forward with a market-first digital financial advice solution that makes financial advice easier to access and understand for all our members.

“The best part is it’s all available 24/7, at no extra cost, for eligible members.

But while this uplift in use is encouraging, we know that too many Australians have no idea their super fund provides this advice. “Our goal is to raise awareness of these solutions and help more Australians make smart choices, feel supported, and retire with more.

“We’re thrilled to be leading the way with new standards and helping our members take action, reduce financial stress, and feel more confident about their retirement.”

Michelle Lusty, Bravura Solutions Head of Midwinter Advice Products said: “We’re witnessing a transformational shift in how Australians access retirement planning advice.

“By collaborating with forward-thinking funds like AMP, we’re helping millions of Australians to engage advice in a way that suits their individual needs, ultimately improving their retirement outcomes while strengthening trust in the system.”

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Notes:
[1] Based on 525 Retirement Health Checks completed in 2024 (Source: AMP data)

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Michelle Lusty

Financial services technology provider Bravura Solutions has reported strong growth of its Midwinter digital advice platform as Australian superannuation funds and enterprises improve member access to real-time financial tools and advice.

Future Group is the latest superannuation fund to partner with Bravura with the initial phase of its digital advice rollout now underway. Offering members pre-retirement personal advice tools, and a public-facing calculator the solution is designed to help members better understand their financial position as they approach retirement.

Roshan Singappuli, General Manager, Partnerships and Advice, Future Group: “We’re thrilled to kick off this important initiative with Bravura. It’s a critical step in supporting our members as they approach retirement. The collaboration and shared innovation between our teams so far has been outstanding.”

AIA Financial Wellbeing, a financial advice business launched by AIA Australia in 2021, has also been collaborating with Bravura to build an Industry-First Digital Insurance Needs Analysis Tool. Using Midwinter technology, the Tool will enable AIA Financial Wellbeing to provide a personalised, adviser-led insurance experience for its customers, including a digital fact find and real-time modelling to streamline the advice process for both advisers and clients.

Pina Sciarrone, Chief Retail Insurance and Advice Officer, AIA Financial Wellbeing: “By integrating data with our advice technology, we’re reducing duplication, saving valuable time, and significantly accelerating the path to a completed Statement of Advice. This intuitive solution empowers advisers to help clients better understand and take control of their insurance needs, enabling them to visualise real-time outcomes in a way that builds confidence and clarity.”

Bravura deepens sector-wide adoption of its Midwinter technology for digital advice

These developments combined with undertakings amongst other major Australian superannuation funds deepen the adoption of Midwinter technology and reflects an intensifying race to deliver accessible, scalable, and personalised financial advice. AMP, Aware Super and Rest have all ramped up Midwinter-based initiatives this year to support members with more accessible, real-time financial advice.

Aware Super is further expanding its suite of digital tools following the exceptional results achieved since launching its My Retirement Planner (MRP) in 2023. Since then, more than 132,000 members have accessed the tool, with a total of 300,000 users. Nearly 100,000 Statements of Advice have been generated and 84% report high levels of retirement confidence after using the tool.

Steven Travis, Group Executive, Member Growth, Aware Super: “We’ve seen positive behavioural changes among members. Members using the tools are growing their contributions and are twice as likely to consolidate their super. We’ve also observed a significant reduction in member exits. These results highlight the power of Aware Super’s digital advice offerings in helping our members engage with their super and feel more confident and in control of their retirement outcomes.”

AMP has expanded its digital advice capability with Bravura and is now offering members 24/7 access to personalised investment and contribution advice, lifetime retirement projections as well as automated production of Statements of Advice – all guiding members to confidently make more informed decisions.

Andrea Boss, General Manager – Advice & Member Engagement, AMP: “Since launching on 31January, over 16,000 members have engaged with our digital advice service, driving a 10-fold increase in the number of members seeking retirement guidance. Our collaboration with Bravura via Midwinter Digital Advice is enabling us to deliver tailored advice at scale.”

Rest Super has scaled up its digital advice for its 2 million members. Building on its collaboration with Bravura that dates to 2017, and the success of its Retirement Health Check tool, Rest has continued to uplift its digital advice offering and personal advice capabilities with automatically generated Statements of Advice (SOAs). Rest has made these available through both member self-service and adviser-assisted channels.

Andrew Ford, General Manager, Brand & Member Experience, says: “Digital advice is central to making super simpler for our more than 2 million members. “The right advice at the right time can have a profound impact on our members’ retirement outcomes. Typically, our digital tools are used by our members around 30,000 times per year, making up around 80% of all our advice interactions. We wouldn’t have seen anywhere near this number of members engaging with advice if it wasn’t available online in a simple, convenient way.”

Bravura says accelerated and sector-wide adoption of its Midwinter technology reflects strong and collective progress towards closing the advice gap and improving retirement outcomes for millions of Australians.

Michelle Lusty, Head of Midwinter Advice Products at Bravura Solutions: “We’re witnessing a transformational shift in how Australians access retirement planning advice. By collaborating with forward-thinking funds, we’re helping millions of Australians to engage advice in a way that suits their individual needs, ultimately improving their retirement outcomes while strengthening trust in the system.”

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