Last updated: 25 July 2026
A new job usually brings a better salary, a different routine and a pile of forms to complete. Somewhere among the tax declaration, payroll details and workplace policies, you will probably be asked where your employer should pay your super.
It is easy to treat that question as routine paperwork. Many people select the employer’s suggested fund, sign the form and move on.
That quick decision may create a second super account, change your insurance or send future contributions into a fund that charges more than your existing one. On the other hand, staying with your current fund without checking it could leave you in an unsuitable investment option or paying for cover you no longer need.
According to my research for this article, changing jobs does not mean you need to move your super. In many cases, your existing account can follow you to the new employer through Australia’s stapled-super system. You can still choose another fund, but the choice should come after comparing fees, investment options, insurance and employer arrangements. (Moneysmart)
There is another point worth clearing up straight away. Most people cannot withdraw their super simply because they leave a job. Super is generally preserved for retirement. Access depends on meeting a legal condition of release, such as turning 65 or reaching the relevant age and retiring or ending an employment arrangement. Limited early-access rules apply in particular circumstances. (Australian Taxation Office)
So, what should you do before your first day?
Start by finding out where your super is now.
Your Super Usually Stays With You
Your employer pays contributions into a super fund, but the account belongs to you. Leaving the employer does not close it or transfer the balance automatically.
You can generally keep the same fund when you move to a new workplace. Give the new employer your existing fund details through the Superannuation standard choice form or the employer’s approved digital version. The ATO describes this form as the document used to tell an employer which fund you have chosen. (Australian Taxation Office)
Eligible new employees should normally be offered a choice of fund. Employers are generally required to provide the choice form within 28 days of the employee’s start date. (Australian Taxation Office)
You do not have to accept the fund promoted during onboarding. An employer may nominate a default product, but eligible workers can usually select another complying fund.
There are exceptions. Some workplace arrangements, public-sector schemes and defined-benefit plans may operate under different rules. Check your contract, enterprise agreement or award if you are unsure whether full choice is available.
What Is a Stapled Super Fund?
A stapled super fund is an existing super account linked to you rather than to a particular employer. It is designed to follow you as you change jobs.
Suppose you start work and do not nominate a fund. Your employer will generally ask the ATO whether you already have a stapled account. If the ATO identifies one, the employer pays your contributions into that account. If you do not have an existing fund, the employer may open an account in its default product. (Australian Taxation Office)
Stapling was introduced to reduce the number of unnecessary accounts created when workers change employers. Before the system was introduced, someone who failed to complete a choice form could end up in a new default fund every time they started another job.
Multiple accounts can mean several sets of administration charges. They may also carry separate insurance policies, with premiums deducted from each balance.
Stapling helps prevent that problem, but it does not guarantee that the account attached to you is the best fund for your present circumstances. It may be an account opened many years ago. Its fees, insurance and investment option still need to be checked.
Do This Before Completing Your New Employer’s Form
Log in to myGov and open the linked ATO service. Go to the super section and review every account listed under your name.
Check the following details:
- Fund name
- Member number
- Current balance
- Recent employer contributions
- Insurance premiums
- Investment option
- Contact information
Look for accounts you had forgotten about. A short casual job, university job or old employer may have paid into a separate fund.
Moneysmart advises people with several accounts to consider combining them, but only after checking whether a transfer would cancel insurance or remove another benefit. You can view and combine eligible accounts through the ATO service in myGov without paying a tracing business. (Moneysmart)
Do not rush to consolidate everything on the same evening. First decide which account is worth keeping.
Compare the Funds Rather Than Their Advertising
A fund’s marketing rarely tells you enough to make a sound decision. Awards, slogans and one-year performance figures may look persuasive, but they do not tell you what the product will cost for your balance or whether its insurance suits your work.
Compare your existing fund with the new employer’s default product across the areas below.
Fees and costs
Look at the annual administration fee and the investment cost attached to your chosen option. Check for fixed dollar charges as well as percentage-based costs.
A fixed fee can take a larger share of a small balance. Percentage fees become more expensive as the balance grows.
Read the current product disclosure statement and the fund’s latest fee information. Do not rely on a statement from several years ago.
Small differences can add up over a long working life. Moneysmart’s superannuation calculator lets users test how fees and assumed investment returns may affect their eventual balance. The result is an estimate, not a forecast. (Moneysmart)
Investment performance
Compare funds over the same period and use similar investment options.
A high-growth option usually holds more shares and may rise or fall more sharply than a conservative option. Comparing the two based on a single annual return gives a distorted result.
Moneysmart recommends looking at performance over at least five years and warns that past results do not guarantee future returns. (Moneysmart)
The ATO’s YourSuper comparison tool can help you compare MySuper products. It includes performance and fee information and allows a detailed comparison of up to four products. It does not cover every investment option, so check whether the product shown matches the one you actually hold. (Australian Taxation Office)
Investment choices
Find out where your money is invested.
Many funds offer premixed options such as conservative, balanced, growth or high growth. Some let you select individual asset categories, including Australian shares, international shares, property, bonds and cash.
A suitable option depends on your circumstances. Someone with thirty years before retirement may be willing to accept more short-term movement. A person preparing to retire may have less time to recover from a steep fall.
That does not mean every younger person should choose the highest-risk option or that every older person should move into cash. Your other assets, debts, income needs and comfort with market falls matter.
Insurance
Super funds commonly offer life cover, total and permanent disability cover and income protection. The policy premium is deducted from the account. (Moneysmart)
Check the policy before transferring or closing an account. Look at:
- The amount insured
- The yearly premium
- Waiting periods
- Benefit periods
- Occupation definitions
- Exclusions
- Expiry age
- Medical conditions already accepted
Changing funds can end the cover attached to your old account. The new fund may provide a lower amount, apply exclusions or require medical assessment.
This deserves extra care if you have a pre-existing condition, work in a hazardous occupation or are over 60. Moneysmart warns that people in these situations may have difficulty obtaining the same cover after changing funds. (Moneysmart)
Do not cancel an existing policy until any replacement has been accepted and you understand its terms.
Employer contributions
The compulsory super guarantee rate is currently 12% of qualifying earnings. Some employers contribute more under an employment contract, workplace policy, enterprise agreement or fund arrangement. (Fair Work Ombudsman)
Ask payroll whether the employer pays the same amount regardless of the fund you select.
Moneysmart notes that changing funds can sometimes affect the contribution an employer pays. Confirm the arrangement rather than assuming every option is identical. (Moneysmart)
A New Rule Applies From July 2026
People starting jobs after 1 July 2026 should know about Payday Super.
Under the new rules, employers must pay super at the same time as wages so the contribution reaches the nominated fund within the required period. For most payments, the contribution must reach the fund within seven business days. A longer period may apply to the first payment for a new employee. (Fair Work Ombudsman)
This makes it easier to check whether your super has been paid.
Do not rely only on the super amount printed on your payslip. A payslip entry can show what the employer calculated, but the fund’s transaction history confirms whether the money arrived.
After starting the new job, check your account once the first contribution should have been received. Contact payroll promptly if it is missing or sent to the wrong fund.
Can You Withdraw Super When You Leave a Job?
Usually, no.
The original draft treated withdrawal as a normal option during a job change. That is misleading for most workers.
Changing employers does not normally give someone unrestricted access to retirement savings. Super can generally be accessed after meeting a condition of release.
You can usually access it:
- At age 65, even if you continue working
- From age 60 after retiring
- From age 60 after ending an employment arrangement
- Under specific early-access provisions
Early-access rules may cover circumstances such as severe financial hardship, certain compassionate grounds or terminal illness. These rules have defined eligibility requirements. Being between jobs or wanting extra cash is not enough on its own. (Australian Taxation Office)
Be cautious of anyone who promises to unlock your super early by moving it into another fund or investment structure. Illegal early-release schemes can expose people to tax, penalties, theft and the loss of their retirement savings.
Should You Consolidate Old Accounts?
Combining accounts can make sense when you are paying several sets of fees and no longer need the insurance attached to the older funds.
It can also make the account easier to monitor. You have one balance, one investment selection and one set of statements.
Still, consolidation is not a routine tidying exercise. Review each account before transferring it.
An old account may include:
- Insurance that is difficult to replace
- A lower premium
- An employer-funded benefit
- A defined-benefit entitlement
- A protected investment arrangement
- Better terms for your occupation
Do not assume the account with the biggest balance is the one to keep. Moneysmart warns that the better account may be one of the smaller funds or a completely different product. (Moneysmart)
You can normally request a rollover through myGov after deciding which fund should receive the money. Your chosen fund may also arrange the transfer.
Save the transfer confirmation and check both accounts afterwards. Make sure the old balance has arrived and that future employer payments are going to the correct account.
What About Salary Sacrifice at the New Job?
A job change is a reasonable time to review voluntary contributions, particularly when your income has changed.
Salary sacrifice involves asking the employer to pay part of your pre-tax salary into super. These payments count towards the concessional contributions cap, along with compulsory employer contributions and certain personal contributions claimed as a tax deduction. (Australian Taxation Office)
From 1 July 2026, the general concessional contributions cap is $32,500. Your employer’s compulsory payments count towards that amount. Some people may be able to use unused cap amounts carried forward from earlier years, subject to the eligibility rules. (Australian Taxation Office)
Do not choose a salary-sacrifice amount based only on the advertised cap. Check how much your employer is likely to contribute during the financial year and whether other concessional payments have already been made.
Salary sacrifice reduces the money available in each pay packet. That may be manageable after a pay rise, but it can cause strain when rent, mortgage payments or other expenses are already tight.
Review the arrangement after receiving the first few payslips. Confirm that the amount deducted matches the agreement and that it has reached the super account.
Common Mistakes During a Job Change
Accepting the default fund without checking it
The employer’s nominated product may be reasonable, but it was not selected for your personal circumstances. Compare it with your current fund before opening another account.
Closing the old account before replacing insurance
A rollover can cancel existing cover. Obtain written confirmation of the replacement policy before closing the account you already hold.
Comparing only last year’s return
One year says little about how an investment option behaves over time. Use comparable options and longer periods.
Forgetting to give payroll complete details
A missing member number or incorrect fund identifier can delay the first payment. Review the choice form before submitting it.
Assuming stapling means the fund is suitable
Stapling identifies an account already connected to you. It is not a government recommendation of that fund.
Ignoring the first employer contribution
Check the fund itself after payday. Under the rules applying from 1 July 2026, super should reach the account within the prescribed period. (Fair Work Ombudsman)
Taking advice from an unsolicited caller
Moneysmart warns about cold calls, online lead-generation advertisements and promises of unrealistic investment returns. Do not transfer your super during an unexpected sales call. Verify the business and claims independently. (Moneysmart)
Your Super Checklist Before Starting the New Job
A week or two before your start date, complete these checks:
- Log in to myGov and list your existing super accounts.
- Download the latest statement from your current fund.
- Check your investment option and annual fees.
- Read the insurance details.
- Compare the current fund with the employer’s default product.
- Ask whether the employer pays extra into a particular fund.
- Complete the choice form with accurate details.
- Keep a copy of the submitted form.
- Check the fund after the first employer contribution is due.
- Review any salary-sacrifice arrangement after the first few pays.
That is enough for most job changes. You do not need to transfer money merely because the employer uses a different fund.
When Professional Advice May Be Worth the Cost
Many workers can compare ordinary accumulation accounts using fund documents, myGov and the YourSuper tool.
Personal advice may be useful when the decision involves a defined-benefit account, valuable insurance, a large balance or retirement planning after age 60.
It may also help if a contribution strategy interacts with your tax position, debt repayments or other investments.
Check the adviser before paying for advice. ASIC’s Financial Advisers Register lists individuals authorised to provide personal advice to retail clients on products such as superannuation and life insurance. The register includes employment history, qualifications and the products the person is authorised to discuss. (ASIC)
Ask for a written explanation of the service and fees. A reputable adviser should be able to explain why a recommendation suits your circumstances without pressuring you to sign immediately.
The Decision Can Wait, but the Paperwork Cannot
You do not have to move your super because you are changing jobs.
Your existing account can usually follow you, either because you nominate it or because it is identified as your stapled fund. A new fund may be better, but that decision requires a proper comparison.
Complete the employer’s form carefully. Check the first contribution. Leave the old account open until you understand its insurance and other benefits.
Most of all, do not mistake a job change for permission to withdraw retirement savings. For most workers, the choice is about where the super remains invested, not whether it can be taken as cash.
Sources
- Australian Taxation Office, Choosing a super fund and Stapled super funds for employers. (Australian Taxation Office)
- Australian Taxation Office, Superannuation standard choice form. (Australian Taxation Office)
- Australian Taxation Office, Conditions of release and Super withdrawal options. (Australian Taxation Office)
- Australian Taxation Office, Contributions caps and Salary sacrificing super. (Australian Taxation Office)
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Payday Super: New rules starting 1 July 2026. (Fair Work Ombudsman)
- Moneysmart, Stapled super fund and Consolidating super funds. (Moneysmart)
- Moneysmart, Choosing a super fund and Insurance through super. (Moneysmart)
- ASIC, Financial Advisers Register. (ASIC)
This article contains general information and does not take your financial circumstances, objectives or needs into account.
Leave a Reply