“2020 highlighted the long-term nature of super and the importance of patience,” he said.
“Members who sat tight generally did OK. Sadly, there were many others who panicked when markets fell and switched their investments to cash or a more conservative option. Not only would they have crystallised their losses, but they would also have missed out on some or all of the subsequent rebound.
“And, of course, there were those who withdrew their money from super completely. That’s understandable to deal with temporary hardship, but they’ll now be faced with making up considerable lost ground.
“The other key message from the 2020 experience is the importance of diversification. Growth funds have their investments spread across a wide range of asset sectors, and that works to cushion the impact during periods of share market weakness, as we saw in February and March. At the same time, they still have a sizeable allocation to listed shares – about 54% on average �