Arjay “Why not let all individuals take control of their super”

I think you can administer your own funds, although the danger is you will do aworse job than an arms-length investment manager (bit like the lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client).

Pelican “Retirement should not be about making profits for a large corporate but about ensuring the financial security of our retired and elderly.”

That is the system we have moved away from, the reason, Keating & Co and governments since, saw the charge on the public purse, with an aging population as being too high for the general economy to manage, hence the unfair treatment handed out to self-funded retirees (being ignored) during the recent Krudd spending spree to state-entitled pensioners.

Arjay “The Singapore Govt owns a runs OPTUS,a very profitable well run large Coprortation”

“Owning” and “running” are separate things requiring different skills.

The benefit of Singapore government owning Optus is the Singaopre government does not regulate the environment in which Optus exists. The danger for monopolistic exploitation is most prevalent when the regulator is also the operator (Aussie government owning Telstra or Commonwealth Bank etc.).

Pellican “make it illegal to for governments to withdraw from the retirement fund even as a 'loan'.”

I would have thought the government bonds which Arjay mentioned initially, would be a safe loan. No retirement fund will keep up with the relentless advance of inflation unless it invests in something (ie loans its surplus cash funds to those who want to earn money off it, for a fee (interest/dividend).

Doubtless, when a collapse occurs, as had happened recently, there are losses and we are all aware oif an impending downside, recession, job losses, disrupted retirement plans etc.

But Arjay is right, there are now opportunities, especially for the cashed up, who can speculate to buy stocks at bargain prices, rent premises for a new business at cheaper leases, get the skilled staff who would be otherwise employed but have since been retrenched.

Lots of opportunities for the brave hearted :-)