By Lara Sinclair
CFS has been recognised for the quality and breadth of our super and retirement products and services, achieving the Epic Retirement Tick for 2026.
Summary
Epic Retirement Tick is given to super funds that can show they provide strong support for members in the lead-up to and throughout retirement. CFS was one of only eight funds to receive the Tick in 2026. See the criteria, and how we support your retirement.
The Epic Retirement Tick is a quality benchmark developed to make it easier for Australians to identify super funds that provide strong support in the lead-up to and throughout retirement.
CFS FirstChoice was one of eight funds nationally to receive the accreditation.
Why the Tick matters
The Epic Retirement Tick was developed by the Epic Retirement Institute together with Chant West, to recognise the funds that offer a comprehensive service to support members in the lead-up to and during retirement.
While most Australians are initially focused on growing their super, they face a different set of challenges when they stop working and may not know where to get help to plan and manage their retirement.
Chant West assesses super funds against 20 separate super and retirement criteria, and funds must meet at least 14 of these benchmarks to receive the Tick.
CFS receives the Epic Retirement Tick for 2026
- Recognition of how we support members throughout retirement
- Assessed across 20 different criteria
- One of only eight funds nationally to receive the Tick for 2026
Importantly, the assessment looks beyond investment returns and fees. It considers how funds support members across the retirement journey, including investments and retirement income solutions, advice, education, tools and service.
For CFS, the Tick provides recognition of the work underway to help members navigate retirement with greater confidence.
CFS Chief Executive of Superannuation & Investments Kelly Power says taking a broader approach to assessing a fund’s products and services is important.
“Our goal is to be Australia’s first choice in retirement, and this shows we’re making real progress,” says CFS Chief Executive of Superannuation & Investments Kelly Power.
“What I like about it is that it looks at retirement as a whole. It’s not just about returns and fees. It also looks at investments, income products, advice, education, tools and service,” Kelly says.
What the Epic Retirement Tick measures
Funds are reviewed against the following 20 criteria annually and must meet minimum standards to be considered to have achieved them.
Tailored pension portfolios
At least one diversified pension option suited to retired members that could be used as a single investment in the retirement phase
Growth performance above median over 7 years
A growth investment option (allocating 70% to growth/30% to defensive investments) that has performed at or above the median over 7 years
Low fees
Across account balances of $100k, $250K, $500k, $750k and $1 million, at least 3 of the 5 options have admin fees below the median
Retirement bonus or top performance
Fund offers a retirement bonus when you switch your super from accumulation into the retirement phase; or top-quartile performance
Lifetime product
Fund offers a retirement product that provides income for life, receives an Age Pension assets test benefit, and has material take-up among members
Education/advice on lifetime product
Fund provides education or advice about its lifetime product, helping members understand how it works with other retirement products
Flexible drawdown strategies
Flexibility to pull income from different options within your account to avoid selling growth assets at a time when they may underperform
Different retirement solutions by cohort
Provides different retirement income solutions for different cohorts or tailors approach for individuals without charging extra
Affordable retirement planning – individual
Individual retirement planning including recommendations on investments, drawdown, Age Pension and next steps for less than $1,000
Affordable retirement planning – household
Household-level retirement planning including recommendations on investments, drawdown and Age Pension entitlements for less than $2,000
Access to comprehensive advice
Whether members can access an adviser — either through the fund or externally — who can provide more comprehensive retirement advice
Retirement calculators and tools
Offers 3 out of 4 of the following tools: retirement income calculator; income drawdown calculator; budgeting tool; Age Pension calculator.
Retirement-focused nudges
Provides 2 out of 3 personalised nudges to help people manage super/retirement: retirement projections on member statements; nudges to help you improve retirement income based on personal situation; nudges to over-65s to consider transferring their super to a pension.
Structured retirement education
Offers retirement webinars, in-person seminars, or structured online courses that walk you through the key steps to get retirement-ready
Online retirement actions
Offers 3 out of 5 key retirement services online: open pension account; change payment amounts; change payment frequency; switch investments; make a withdrawal.
Speed of service
No. of days taken to: set up new pension from super; set up new pension for new members; change pension income amount; commute existing pension account and start new one; make an ad hoc payment from pension account.
Customer service
Wait times, call drop-outs, and customer satisfaction scores of a fund’s content centre
Pension payment efficiency
Meets 2 out of 3 criteria: No. of days it takes a fund to pay you; whether fund uses Osko payments for faster payment; same-day ad hoc payments.
Complaints and disputes
At median or above performance on 3 out of 4 measures: level of complaints as % of members; % complaints not solved in 45 days; % of complaints referred to AFCA; level of dedicated dispute resolution resources.
Cyber security
Meets 2 out of 3 benchmarks: external certifications in past 2 years including CORIE, ISO 127001 or NIST; Green ID or other online identity verification; MFA when members log in and for high-risk activities.
Source: Epic Retirement Tick key criteria 2026, Epic Retirement Institute.
How CFS supports members navigating retirement
Retirement rarely comes down to a single decision. People need to consider how much income they will need, how their money is invested and how their needs may change over time.
CFS has been investing to continually improve our offer across different parts of our Retirement Advantage ecosystem of connected retirement solutions, including:
- Launching the CFS Pension Bonus,
- Developing innovative new retirement income solutions such as the Retirement Income Optimiser,
- New super and retirement income calculators,
- Expanded education and insights to inform members including our Grow into Retirement retirement planning guide
- Super Advice for members at no extra cost.
For CFS, earning the Tick is an important milestone, but the focus remains on continuing to invest in retirement solutions, advice support, digital experiences and education. Together, we can help more Australians make the most of their retirement.
What the Tick doesn’t tell you
The Epic Retirement Tick benchmarks different funds against the same set of criteria to provide a like-for-like assessment of their products and services. It doesn’t provide personalised recommendations.
Whether a fund is right for an individual depends on their own objectives, financial situation, investment timeframe and personal situation.
Some services provided by CFS, such as help with estate planning or aged care guidance, are not assessed by the Epic Retirement Tick.
It’s worth looking through the criteria, considering your own needs, and making your own assessment of how CFS – or your own fund if you’re not a CFS member – performs in each area.
You may also wish to speak with a financial adviser for more personalised support. Explore your advice options
Not a CFS member? Make the switch today
If your super could be doing more, switching is easier than you think. Join CFS super online – it takes less than 10 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
The Epic Retirement Tick is a quality benchmark developed by Epic Retirement, in partnership with Chant West to assess how well super and pension funds support members through the retirement phase, not just during accumulation. Funds are assessed against 20 criteria. The Tick is reviewed annually and the current assessment covers 2026.
The Tick is a quality benchmark, not a personalised recommendation. Whether a particular fund suits your retirement is a separate question that depends on your own objectives, financial situation, needs, investment timeframe, and risk tolerance. If you are uncertain, speaking with a financial adviser is a sensible next step.
The 20 criteria cover multiple dimensions of retirement fund quality in super and throughout retirement. Broadly, the criteria assess how well a fund supports income drawdown, member communication, access to advice, fee transparency, insurance, and digital capability during the retirement phase.
CFS has received the Epic Retirement Tick. If you are not a CFS member, and your fund has not received the Tick, that does not automatically mean it is the wrong fund for you. It may be worth reviewing what the criteria measure and how your fund. If you’re uncertain if your fund meets your needs, a financial adviser may be able to help.
What's next?
Retirement-phase income streams available to you
Understand the options on offer, and how they work together.
Retirement planning: Grow into retirement with CFS
A guide to help you maximise your super in your 50s and 60s.
Want to set up an income stream in retirement?
An account-based pension lets you access your super tax-free.
Disclaimer
The Zenith CW Pty Ltd ABN 20 639 121 403 AFSL 226872/AFS Rep No. 1280401 (Chant West) Epic Retirement Tick issued October 2026 is solely a statement of opinion and not a recommendation in relation to making any investment decisions. The Tick is current for 12 months and subject to change at any time without notice. Ticks from previous years are for historical purposes only. Liability is not accepted, whether direct or indirect, from use of the Tick. Full details on the Tick at https://www.chantwest.com.au/solutions/epic-retirement-tick/
Avanteos Investments Limited ABN 20 096 259 979, AFSL 245531 (AIL) is the trustee of the Colonial First State FirstChoice Superannuation Trust ABN 26 458 298 557 and issuer of FirstChoice range of super and pension products. Colonial First State Investments Limited ABN 98 002 348 352, AFSL 232468 (CFSIL) is the responsible entity and issuer of products made available under FirstChoice Investments and FirstChoice Wholesale Investments. Information on this webpage is provided by AIL and CFSIL. It may include general advice but does not consider your individual objectives, financial situation, needs or tax circumstances. You can find the target market determinations (TMD) for our financial products at https://www.cfs.com.au/tmd which include a description of who a financial product might suit. You should read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Financial Services Guide (FSG) carefully, assess whether the information is appropriate for you, and consider talking to a financial adviser before making an investment decision. You can get the PDS and FSG at www.cfs.com.au or by calling us on 13 13 36.
Super Advice by CFS Advice Services: AIL has appointed CFS Advice Services Pty Ltd ABN 52 682 119 651, AFSL 564571 (CFSAS) to provide one-off limited personal advice on specified topics to members of FirstChoice Superannuation Trust who access the Super Advice service. AIL and CFSAS are both members of the Colonial First State group of companies. CFSAS holds a financial services licence to provide personal financial product advice, and its financial advisers act under this licence when providing advice services to members. CFSAS is responsible for financial advice provided to you under the Super Advice service. Before you receive a financial service from CFSAS, you should read the Financial Services Guide (FSG) issued by CFSAS. The cost of providing the Super Advice service is collectively charged to all members of the Fund and is incorporated in the fees and costs shown in the PDS.