Your super doesn't automatically go to the people you'd expect. Answer 5 quick questions to find out if your nomination is valid, current, and tax-efficient.
Takes about 2 minutes
Nothing is stored
ATO & SIS Act rules
Question 1 of 5
Do you have a beneficiary nomination on your super?
This is the instruction you give your fund about who receives your super when you die. Check your latest statement or your fund's member portal if you're not sure.
1 of 5
Question 2 of 5
When did you last update or confirm your nomination?
Most binding nominations expire every 3 years under Australian law unless you renew them. Non-binding nominations don't expire but can become outdated after life events.
2 of 5
Question 3 of 5
Who have you nominated to receive your super?
Select all that apply. The tax treatment of your super death benefit depends heavily on who receives it.
Select all that apply
3 of 5
Question 4 of 5
Do you have super in more than one fund?
Each super account requires its own separate nomination. Many Australians accumulate accounts across different jobs and assume one nomination covers everything — it doesn't.
4 of 5
Question 5 of 5
Have any of these happened since you last reviewed your nomination?
Life events often make an existing nomination outdated — sometimes dangerously so. Select all that apply.
Select all that apply
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Your beneficiary nomination health check
Key facts about super & estate planning
Super does not automatically follow your will
Your superannuation is held in trust — it sits outside your estate. Without a valid binding nomination, the fund trustee decides who gets it under the SIS Act, which may not match what your will says.
Around 1 in 3 Australians have no binding nomination on their super. The trustee of their fund will make the decision when they die.
Binding nominations expire every 3 years
Under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations, most binding nominations lapse after 3 years if not renewed. An expired binding nomination is treated as if it doesn't exist. Some funds offer non-lapsing binding nominations — check your fund's PDS.
The tax depends on who you nominate
Super death benefits paid to a tax dependant (spouse, de facto partner, child under 18, financial dependant, or interdependant) are completely tax-free. Benefits paid to a non-tax-dependant (e.g. an adult child who isn't financially dependent on you, a sibling, a friend) face tax of up to 17% on the taxable component.
On a $300,000 super balance with a fully taxed component, a non-dependant adult child could pay up to ~$51,000 in tax that a spouse would have received tax-free.
Separation doesn't automatically remove your ex
If you nominated your spouse and then separated — even if you've been separated for years — that nomination may still be legally valid. Your fund has no way of knowing your relationship status changed unless you tell them. Update your nomination after any separation.
Each fund needs its own nomination
If you have super in three different funds — common after changing jobs — you need a valid nomination in each one. A nomination in Fund A has no effect on what happens to the balance in Fund B.