Learn how to nominate a beneficiary for your super

While you might think crushing on your barista makes it worth nominating them as your beneficiary, that's probably not the best idea as they're likely not a dependant. It's time to get super close to your super and learn the ins and outs of how super beneficiaries work, so that you can make sure your super money ends up in the right hands.

First up, it's important to know that super is not generally covered by wills, unless you make the necessary arrangements with your super fund beforehand. To make sure your super money ends up in the right hands, it’s important to keep your super up to date by nominating your beneficiaries.

Who gets my super if something happens to me?

Deciding who gets your super when you die isn’t as simple as having a will. That’s because wills only cover assets you own, such as houses, cars, investments, jewellery and other personal items. Super, on the other hand, is held in trust for you by the trustee of the super fund.

To make sure that your super, and any life insurance you hold inside super, goes to the people you’d like it to in the event of your death, you need to nominate beneficiaries. If you don’t nominate a beneficiary, your super fund may have the discretion to decide who receives the payment, regardless of what you have in your will. Making a nomination will help to give you peace of mind.

Who can be my beneficiary?

A beneficiary is anyone who receives the payout from your super fund when you die. You can nominate one or more beneficiaries if your super fund allows it. Eligible beneficiaries include:

• your spouse or partner
• your children
• anybody financially dependent on you when you die
• an interdependent
• your estate or legal personal representative – known as an executor.

If you nominate your estate or legal personal representative, you can then specify in your will how to distribute your super money. It’s important that the information stated in your will is up to date, so your legal personal representative pays out your super money as per your instructions.

How to nominate a beneficiary

To give you certainty as to who will receive your super when you die, you can nominate a non-lapsing beneficiary for your AMP super account securely online via My AMP, without the need for a witness.

To nominate, review or add beneficiaries, follow these steps:

1. Log into My AMP.
2. On the 'Superannuation' tab, select 'Update my beneficiaries' from the 'I want to' menu.
3. Add or update your non-lapsing beneficiary.

All new beneficiary nominations for your AMP super account will be non-lapsing nominations.

Non-lapsing nominations do not expire and will continue to apply until you choose to update it or if certain events happen, for example you get married, divorced or any nominated beneficiary dies. It is important to review your non-lapsing nomination regularly to make sure it’s still appropriate.

What happens if I don’t nominate a beneficiary?

If you don't nominate a beneficiary, the trustee will follow the relevant fund rules and must pay your death benefit to your estate. If the Trustee cannot pay your estate it may use its discretion to determine the beneficiaries.

Nominations checklist:

• check those you’re nominating are eligible
• if you plan to nominate your legal personal representative, make sure your will is up to date
• complete and sign a nomination form—if your super is with AMP, you can nominate a non-lapsing beneficiary securely online without the need for a witness via My AMP
• if you made a nomination before 1 October 2021, you may have a lapsing binding nomination. If your nomination is lapsing, make sure you review and renew it before it expires. You can find the date the nomination expires in your annual statement.