Haven't checked your super balance?
Make sure you’re not missing out

Most people notice when their pay goes into their bank account. And if the amount varies from what’s expected, questions are asked.

Your super deserves the same attention: it’s still part of your pay – just paid into a different account, for later. And for many working Australians, it’s about to get much easier to track.

Under new Payday Super rules, from 1 July 2026, employers will need to pay super at the same frequency as regular paydays – so that it’s received by the super fund generally within seven business days of the employee’s payday.

While some employers already pay super in line with regular pay cycles, many pay super on a quarterly basis, so the Payday Super rules will mean these employers will need to make super guarantee contributions more frequently.

Super paid at the same frequency as regular paydays is not only easier to track but compounds more effectively over time compared with quarterly payments.

For example, a 25-year-old with an average super balance and average earnings for their age could expect to have $4,308 more in their super account at retirement if mandatory super guarantee (SG) payments were paid fortnightly instead of quarterly³.

Balance assumes retirement at 65, in today’s dollars. Super earns 6.2% per annum, net of tax and fees. Starting balance is based on APRA average and average earnings for that age³.

While many Australians rely on super in retirement, 44% don’t regularly check their super balance, CFS research shows¹. 

And although the vast majority of super is paid correctly, according to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), mistakes can happen². Sometimes, super isn’t paid as it should be. 

So if you’re not checking your balance, you could be missing out on money you’ve earned.

The ATO recently revealed that in the 2024-25 financial year, $1.1 billion in unpaid super was returned to nearly one million Australians’ super accounts². 

The only way to know whether your super is being paid correctly – and on time – so it can work hard for your future, is to check.

The SG rate for compulsory employer super is 12% for the current financial year. That means your employer must pay the equivalent of 12% of your ordinary time earnings (OTE) into your super. 

SG entitlements need to have been paid on at least a quarterly basis until 1 July 2026, when Payday Super comes into effect.

Ordinary time earnings are what an employee receives for their ordinary hours of work, including:

• commissions,
• shift loading,
• allowances, and
• bonuses.

From 1 July 2026, the amount of SG payable will be 12% of ‘qualifying earnings’ which for most employees is the same as ordinary time earnings. 

The SG rate has increased gradually over time. However, the ATO provides a Super Guarantee estimator to make calculating entitlements easier. 

If you believe a mistake has been made, talk to your employer in the first instance.

There are also ways to follow up super payments from employers past and present via the ATO’s super review and audit processes.