Last updated: 1 July 2020

With a large volume of queries from you, our members, we have tried to answer some of the most common questions below. However, if you can’t find the answer to your question in these notes, please get in touch.

Investments - If you are looking for details on investment performance in the current markets, please have a look here. Additional notes are also below.

Account Details - You can check your account balance and other details by logging in here.

Contact Details - If you want to talk with our smartReps, they can support you with account information and contact details – including making sure your email address is up to date and you receive the latest information from smartMonday. You will find contact details at the bottom of this page.

Our smartCoach team are available to help with more specific questions about investments and your insurance cover.

Globally, we continue to face uncertain times. While we expect volatility in the share market to continue for some time, it might be reassuring to note that the level of markets in June 2020 was significantly higher than the low in March 2020.

There is no doubt that most super balances have been volatile and their value has fallen dramatically before improving again, some more than others.  This is primarily due to the type of investments held in each account.  Each type of investment, such as Cash, Fixed interest / Bonds, Equities, Property, has a unique risk and return profile.  Shares for example are generally regarded to be a potentially high risk but high reward investment, while money in the bank has historically been viewed as a low risk but low reward investment, which is definitely the case today, as returns on cash are currently among the lowest in history.

We’ve seen a significant recovery from the March market low. In some cases, prices are at or above their previous peak. Some business models have done very well from the crisis and we think their share prices can be sustained. Many other companies have suffered a gap in their revenue that will take time to recover or address, due to accelerated changes in consumption patterns brought on by the global health pandemic.

COVID-19 has impacted businesses, whole industries and the way we live.  There is a lot of government spending that is providing support and we expect more announcements which could further impact investment markets. There is still more uncertainty to come, though it seems possible that the worst is behind us in terms of investment markets.

If you are in retirement (or approaching that time), consider all your options before making any significant changes to your investments. This may include reviewing your retirement strategy with the assistance of a financial adviser or if you are a smartMonday PRIME or DIRECT member, chat to a smartCoach, to see if your objectives are still being met.

It can be hard to re-build a super balance once it’s been drawn on. If you take advantage of withdrawing some money to meet your current needs, you may want to put into place a plan to increase your superannuation contributions when you get back on your feet.  The maximum withdrawal is $20,000 over 2 financial years but you do not have to take the full available amount.

Understand your current financial needs before making the decision to withdraw your superannuation funds.

Applications can only be made through the myGov website. Anyone contacting you stating they are from a trusted organisation such as the, Australian Taxation Office, your bank, or smartMonday, could be attempting to steal funds or your personal information. Be cautious, if you have any doubts, do not provide personal information over the phone or in emails and definitely don’t click links that could be suspect. If you are unsure, we recommend you check with that organisation by using the contact details found on their website.

Remember that your insurance cover may be cancelled if:

• your super account balance is insufficient to support the monthly deduction of insurance costs
• Your account balance falls below $6,000

The balance you need to maintain will depend on the cost of your insurance, which can vary on a number of factors such as your age, occupation, and any special loadings you may have.

You can provide us with a written election to keep your insurance regardless of your account balance, as long as there is enough available to pay the premiums. You can read more about this or make an election to keep your insurance here.

In any case, we’ll contact you before cancelling any insurance cover in your account. If you’re unsure, please login to our smartMonday website or call our smartReps.

Reduced minimum drawdown requirements

The Federal Government has temporarily reduced superannuation minimum drawdown requirements for account-based pensions and similar products by 50 per cent for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 income years. The current and new rates are illustrated in the table below.

This measure will benefit retirees with account-based pensions and similar products by reducing the need to sell investment assets to fund minimum drawdown requirements.

Reduced deeming rates

The Federal Government is also reducing both the upper and lower social security deeming rates by a further 0.25 percentage points in addition to the 0.5 percentage point reduction to both rates announced on 12 March 2020.

For more information please access these sites at: treasury.gov.au/coronavirus and moneysmart.gov.au/covid-19-financial-assistance

We want to assure you that COVID-19 has no impact on your existing insurance cover. If you need to make a claim related to COVID-19, as with any other claim, you will simply need to meet the eligibility requirements for your type of cover.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to raise medical concerns, insurance can be an important protection for you and your loved ones. Members with death, total and permanent disability, or income protection cover should be comforted to know we do not have any pandemic exclusions – confirmed true and correct.

It’s important to remember our default income protection is designed to cover members who are sick or injured. While we don’t exclude COVID-19 you will need to be medically certified as unable to work due to sickness or injury for before benefits would start to accrue.

Waiting and benefit periods apply and will depend on the benefit you hold within your smartMonday account.

Please Note:

Loss of employment, such as Redundancy or Retrenchment, is not covered by income protection insurance.

In the unfortunate event of a claim, we are here to help you with the claim process. If you do need to make a claim, call us to discuss your eligibility, the claim process and the options that may be available to you.

Your income protection cover will not be impacted if you’ve been asked to work from home by your employer, so long as you are otherwise eligible to claim. If you have question or would like more information, please call or email (see below for contact details).

What’s happening with the smartMonday team?

smartMonday, and our wider organisation Aon, have adopted a flexible workplace approach and are using technology to work remotely. We will be returning to our offices slowly over coming months, in line with state and local regulations. We are committed to supporting you and have a ‘business as usual’ approach. Our focus on you, the member, continues to be our priority.