Most financial advisers in regional Victoria have never worked inside an industry super fund. Phil and I have.
Before starting Greybox Wealth, Phil and I both worked at VicSuper — which today is known as Aware Super — one of Australia’s largest industry super funds.
This gave us deep first-hand experience in:
- how industry super funds design their investment options
- how default insurance gets priced and approved
- how contribution strategies flow through in practice (not just theoretically)
- how retirement income streams are modelled internally
- how members actually interact with super when they are making real life decisions
This background is incredibly valuable for clients in Bendigo, Echuca, Shepparton, Kerang and broader regional Victoria — because industry super funds are the primary retirement vehicle for most people here. We understand how these funds operate from inside the system, not just from the outside as external advisers.
Owning our own AFSL (Regional Wealth Pty Ltd) paired with this background means we are not limited to one product or one super fund ecosystem — we can provide advice on Aware Super (formerly VicSuper) as well as any industry fund our clients may be with. And because we’ve worked inside the system ourselves, we bring a level of practical understanding and context that most advisers simply don’t have. This makes our advice more informed, more realistic, and more aligned to how these funds actually operate in the real world — not just theory or generic modelling.
We are fully registered advisers with direct adviser portal access to Aware Super, Hostplus and Australian Retirement Trust. This means we can liaise directly with the fund, access accurate member data, run modelling and process advice changes far more efficiently. The outcome for our clients is a smoother, faster and more accurate advice experience — without the frustrating back-and-forth delays often seen with advisers who don’t have portal access.
Specialist knowledge with ESSSuper Defined Benefit Schemes
We also have extensive experience advising on the ESSS Defined Benefit schemes — which are complex, rules-based and have very different planning implications than normal accumulation super.
This includes:
- how service periods affect final benefit calculations
- how salary averaging is applied
- the different exit / resignation / retirement benefit factors
- how contributions interact with defined benefit accrual
- how to model retirement adequacy correctly in defined benefit environments
Most advisers simply don’t have this background — and most “generic online advice” completely gets this wrong.
This is an area where the right advice can mean tens of thousands of dollars difference to someone’s retirement outcome.
Why this matters for you
Because the majority of our clients in regional Victoria (teachers, nurses, government sector, council, hospital staff, emergency services etc) are inside industry funds — or are in ESSS Defined Benefit — you get the benefit of advisers who have actually worked inside the system you’re in.
This means:
- clearer explanations
- less jargon
- correct modelling
- fewer mistakes
- better retirement strategy decisions that reflect how your fund actually works in the real world
Final Thought
Superannuation is the largest financial asset most Australians will ever own.
Getting advice from people who genuinely understand industry super and defined benefit structures — not just textbook theory — can materially improve your retirement confidence and financial security.
Greybox Wealth exists to bring this high-level, specialist experience to clients across Bendigo, Echuca, Shepparton and regional Victoria.
If you’re in an industry fund, or you have an ESSS Defined Benefit entitlement, and want clarity about retirement — we can help.
Contact us to make your obligation free appointment.