Benefits of investing with MLC MasterKey Super & Pension Fundamentals 

• A wide range of investment options: Customise your investment portfolio to how you like it, using our world-class investment managers.

• Pensions: Transition to retirement and retirement income stream solutions—giving you more choice in retirement.

• Insurance: Tax-effective cover to protect you and your family.

• Advice tools and calculators: Helping you understand your super, when it's convenient for you.

• Member benefits program: Access to discounts, lifestyle offers, popular events, travel offers, savings on health insurance, and more.

• Online access and a mobile app: Stay on top of your super—wherever you are.

The investment option may be suited to you if

• want to gear a portfolio of growth assets (primarily shares) but don't want the burden of obtaining and managing your own loan,

• want to rely largely on the market for returns,

• want long-term capital growth,

• expect growth in the assets' value to exceed the costs of gearing, and

• are comfortable with the risks of gearing, including extra volatility and increased risk of capital loss.

About MLC MasterKey Super & Pension Fundamentals

You can use the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to find what you need to know about your super and how we can help you reach your retirement goals

MLC MasterKey Super & Pension Fundamentals is the easy-to-manage super account that gives you a great opportunity to grow and protect your wealth.

You'll have access to a broad range of investment options, allowing you to customise your investment portfolio. A financial adviser can support you with any decisions you make.

MLC MasterKey Super & Pension Fundamentals is part of the MLC Super Fund. You can find more information on the MLC Super Fund, the Trustee and executive remuneration, and other Fund documents at mlc.com.au/yoursuperfund.

Investing in MLC investment options 

When you're invested in an MLC portfolio, your money is with Australia's most experienced multi-manager.

MLC multi-asset portfolios

Everyone has different ideas about how their money should be managed, so three sets of multi-asset portfolios have been developed to offer you a range of options:

• MLC Inflation Plus;

• MLC Horizon; and

• MLC Index Plus portfolios.

These portfolios use our approach to investing described on page 14 of the Investment Menu.

MLC asset class funds

You may decide to tailor your investment strategy using our asset class funds.

These funds invest in one asset class and suit investors looking for a complete investment solution for that asset class.

Cash and term deposits

We also offer a range of term deposits and the MLC Cash Fund as a cash option.

How we invest your money

Investment markets are the main driver of the Trust's investment returns. The Trust's allocation to investment markets is shown in its benchmark asset allocation and ranges below. The benchmark asset allocation has a strong bias to growth assets and some exposure to defensive assets.

Our investment experts actively look for opportunities to provide better returns, or less risk, than those generated by the benchmark asset allocation and to manage the Trust's exposure to the risks of investing in markets. Our investment experts do this by:

1. Researching and selecting a broad range of mainstream asset classes, and including some exposure to alternative assets and strategies.
2. Adjusting the allocations to the asset classes within the defined ranges shown below.
3. Researching hundreds of investment managers from around the world and selecting the managers they believe are the best for the Trust. These investment managers, who are mainly active managers, choose many companies and securities in Australia and overseas for investment.

The portfolio uses all aspects of our approach to investing, outlined earlier. In addition, the portfolio uses a market-leading Investment Futures Framework to manage risk and identify opportunities. More information about the Investment Futures Framework is on the MLC website.

The portfolio has a target gearing level of 30%. This means for every $1,000 you have invested, the portfolio targets borrowings of $300. The actual gearing level changes every day as a result of market movements. That's why the portfolio's actual gearing level is monitored against its target and the borrowings are regularly moved back to the target level. To maintain the target gearing level, we may need to adjust the borrowings as well as buy and sell assets. This increased trading will incur transaction costs and realise taxable gains and losses. The actual gearing level may move significantly away from the target, without prior notice to you, for reasons including:

• significant market volatility;
• legislative changes;
• accessing borrowings, including any lender imposed requirement to repay borrowings; and
• changes to gearing costs.

Current gearing levels are available on the MLC website.

Investment objective

Aims to outperform the benchmark, before fees and tax, over 5 year periods.

We aim to achieve this return while keeping volatility (movements up and down in value) at levels similar to the benchmark.

While the portfolio isn't managed to achieve a particular return above inflation, an average return of 6.25% p.a. above inflation (before fees and tax) is consistent with historical long-term returns from investment markets, using an asset allocation similar to the portfolio's. More information about long-term investment market returns is provided in the Investment Menu.

Benchmark asset allocation and ranges

(Asset class: Benchmark asset allocation / Ranges)

• Defensive alternatives and other: 2% / 0%-7%

Total defensive assets: 2% / 0%-7%

• Australian shares: 52% / 40%-65%

• Global shares: 63% / 50%-75%

• Listed property securities: 0% / 0%-15%

• Growth alternatives and other: 5% / 0%-15%

• Private assets: 7% / 0-20%

Total growth assets: 128% / 120%-130%

• Gearing*: 30% / 20%-35%

*If asset values fall dramatically (such as in unusually adverse market conditions), the Trust's gearing level may rise above 30%.