What has AHC Pacific been up to?
A question that resonates with us all as a new year comes around is, "What will the future hold?" We all have opinions and projections for the coming months, from the state of the Euro and the Arab Spring, to who will win the US Presidency and the Melbourne Cup!
The AHC Pacific team is greeting 2012 with great enthusiasm and we're eager to explore what this year has in store for the super industry...and for you and your members.
We're maintaining the momentum of 2011, which was a great springboard for our company, in Australia and globally, with innovative projects delivered for new and existing clients.
So, what happened in our world in 2011?
- Rahim, Ben and Louise set up AHC Pacific's Melbourne office...and discovered a whole new world of coffee - what else would you expect in Melbourne?!
- Catholic Super and REST members began using our new, ready-made Lifetime Supermodeller to visualise their financial future. By entering just a few details about themselves, members quickly get a snapshot of their retirement savings and income, which they can explore further within the modeller e.g. the impact of a period of part-time work, a transition to retirement strategy and extra pre- or post-tax contributions.
- We're proud as punch to have developed QSuper's Retirement Income modeller in partnership with our Melbourne-based actuarial partner, Cumpston Sarjeant . This tailor-made modeller helps to bring into sharp focus the link between today's retirement savings and tomorrow's retirement income. By highlighting any 'gap' they may face, the modeller helps QSuper members identify whether their current approach to retirement savings will get them where they'd like to be when the time comes to retire. Members can also model their spouse/partner's income alongside their own and see the effect of taking a career break or making additional contributions.
- Australian clients are also recognising the potential of animation and video to help people quickly and easily understand complex financial topics. Plum Financial Services worked with us to raise member awareness of the Government's co-contribution with a video tutorial that combined voiceover, on-screen text and contemporary animation.
If members are going to proactively plan for their retirement, it's vital to educate them using mediums and tools that are easy to digest and keep up with communication trends.
And the AHC global picture?
Globally, our parent company (AHC Limited) also experienced positive growth. We began a partnership with Nike in The Netherlands, ramped up our business development work in the US and continued working with Vodafone, Barclays, Unilever and Lloyds Banking Group in the UK, just to name a few.
Bring on 2012!
As the South American proverb says, "One who does not look ahead remains behind" so in the ever-changing super industry, 2012 is about looking ahead.
Already this year, AHC Pacific has delivered a significant project with one of Australia's largest retail funds which helps members to look ahead. The new online tool allows members to experiment with their financial future in a 'virtual' environment, setting a variety of financial goals and in turn, understanding the impact of allocating various proportions of their disposable income to achieving these objectives.
In our partnerships this year, AHC Pacific will be looking beyond today's project to the bigger picture - your members' journey to understanding and, from there, to informed decisions and positive retirement outcomes. That's when communication becomes education and engagement.
We want to help you make super simple for your members - so get in touch with Ben and Louise, and arrange a chat...maybe over a cup of that good Australian coffee?
