Super funds score poorly on public-focused writing

Australian superannuation funds have had their documents scored for readability, with plenty of room for improvement identified.

The 2021 readability scorecard: Australian superannuation funds by Ethos CRS analyses the readability of superannuation documents, with the idea being that members should be able to understand and easily read fund materials designed (supposedly) with them in mind. Making informed financial decisions depends on it.

Not a single document came close to the benchmark score of 100, with the average readability score being just 45.6 across 80 documents from 20 companies. Top marks were awarded to Care Super, Australian Super, HESTA and Cbus Super.

Ethos CRS is a consultancy group providing insights and advice on business writing and clear English for government and business, offering training and partnerships. Ethos CRS researched and wrote the digital edition of the Australian Government Style Manual.