Navigating market highs and lows: A solid year for CareSuper members
Watch an update from our Chief Investment Officer, Suzanne Branton
Solid performance across the board
For super members in our Balanced option—where most of our members are invested—the return was 8.6% for the financial year. This outcome was well above inflation and slightly exceeding the long-term average for this option.
Returns for Pension members were higher, with the Retirement Income Balanced option returning 8.9% for the year. Options with higher allocations to global shares, such as the Growth option, performed particularly well.
Market moves over the financial year
While markets closed the year on a high, the journey was far from smooth. From mid-January to early April, global share markets dipped sharply amid heightened geopolitical tensions and uncertainty surrounding US trade policy. At one point, the US stock market fell nearly 18%, reminding investors how quickly sentiment can shift.
Despite these setbacks, global markets recovered strongly—and 2024–25 marked the third consecutive year of returns exceeding 18% in global shares. Meanwhile, other asset classes provided balance: credit posted more modest declines but still delivered returns around 9%, and fixed income helped diversify portfolios during periods of stock market turbulence.
This highlights the importance of staying invested in a well-diversified mix of assets, particularly when conditions are less predictable.
Smooth ride investment strategy in action
CareSuper’s investment approach centres on risk management and consistency. Our Smooth Ride strategy is designed to handle both market highs and lows—supporting members with steady growth and resilience when outlooks are uncertain.
Why long-term growth really matters
When it comes to super, consistency beats short-term reaction. Staying invested over the long haul can deliver meaningful results—regardless of market ups and downs. For example, if you had invested $100,000 in CareSuper’s Balanced option and left it untouched for 20 years, your balance today could be worth over $416,800. In our Growth option, that same investment could grow to more than $461,000.1
These figures speak to the power of long-term growth and the value of a steady, diversified investment approach. It’s not about chasing short-term highs—it’s about staying the course and letting your super do the work overtime.
We can help you
If you're unsure which investment option suits your personal goals, our award-winning member services2 and expert super advisers are here to support you every step of the way.
Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future performance. The value of investments can rise or fall, and investment returns can be positive or negative On 1 November 2024, the former CARE Super fund (ABN 98 172 275 725) merged into Spirit Super and the investment options in the merged fund were aligned with the former CARE Super fund investment options (other than the Long-term option (Managed Income only)). The figures shown here that relate to the period before 1 November 2024 reflect the performance for the corresponding former CARE Super fund investment options. Investment performance history for the Spirit Super investment options before 1 November 2024 can be viewed here: caresuper.com.au/spiritsuperperformancehistory.
Figures have been rounded up to either one decimal point or whole numbers. The figures shown are net investment returns after fees, costs and taxes.
1Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future performance. Figures based on after-tax and fees performance of the option over 20 years to 30 June 2025.
2CareSuper was ranked number 1 for customer experience across the Superannuation and financial sectors by Customer Service Benchmarking Australia (CSBA) for the period April 2024 to March 2025. CareSuper has an agreement with CSBA for quality assurance and staff training within their contact centre. Awards and ratings are only one factor when deciding how to invest your super. Read about the award methodology at csba.com.au.
Strong, steady returns refer to our Balanced (MySuper) option which has delivered a 10-year average return of 7.40% to 30 June 2025 with a medium to high risk rating, meaning a negative return is expected in 3.5 out of every 20 years.