Glossary

A scheme operated by an employer to help their employees save for their retirement. In some cases employers add money to the amount the employer saves, in other cases the employer meets some of the costs of the scheme, such as bank fees. Sometimes the employer superannuation scheme provides life insurance cover for the employees. Also called a corporate or group superannuation scheme.

Subsidised employer superannuation schemes sometimes have what's called a 'vesting period'. Vesting provisions set out the period of time you must stay with the employer before you can keep the employer's contributions. (You will always get the contributions you paid yourself). If 'full vesting' occurs at 10 years, only after that will you get all of your employer's contributions. Often, though, there will be a sliding scale. After one year, for instance, you may get 10 per cent of the employer's contributions, and after 5 years you may get half.