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About 11,000 people may have lost their hard-earned superannuation savings due to the collapses of the Shield and First Guardian Master Funds. Most people will be entitled to get some of their money back, but you need to take action soon. This website explains what happened, where to go for more help and how to take your super back.
What happened?
What are Shield and First Guardian?
Shield and First Guardian are two investment funds which collapsed after people invested $1.1 billion in super. About 11,000 people may have lost a large part of their savings. Many people do not know they were invested in these funds.
Most people invested through financial advisers who contacted them after they clicked on a social media ad offering a free super comparison or review.
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What is being done about this?
There is a lot of work being done to try to get money back for people who invested.
The regulator is also investigating what happened and has started enforcement action against a number of different people and companies for their involvement in the collapses of Shield and First Guardian Master Funds. Learn about the progress of this work.
MoreHow do I know if I’m affected?
Find out if you’re invested in Shield or First Guardian
Most people who were invested in Shield or First Guardian may not recognise these names. In some cases, financial advisers moved people into those investments without their consent. Check your super investments to find out if you’re affected.
Find out more
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed?
Losing a large amount of money is stressful, especially if you or your partner were planning to retire soon. This can take a toll on your mental health. There is help and support available for you and your family.
Find out more
How do I protect my super?
Shield and First Guardian Master Funds are just two examples of sophisticated, convincing and high-risk super switching schemes that people were talked into – but there are more around. Unfortunately, these schemes can be very convincing and they are still happening with other types of investments. And worse, scammers are trying to squeeze more money out of people investors who have already lost their life savings. Learn how to protect yourself and your family from being scammed again.
Find out moreHow do I get my super back?
Take back your super
Most people will be entitled to at least some of their money back. But you need to take action soon to get it, and there are a few options for how to do this.
Find out more
Making a complaint to AFCA
The Australian Financial Complaints Authority is a free service that can deal with complaints about financial businesses. Most people who invested in Shield or First Guardian dealt with a financial adviser or a super fund (or both). You may be able to claim your money back from them if they did something wrong.
Make a complaint
What if I need help?
Do you need advice or help? There are many different legal, financial and mental health resources available to assist you to understand your options and navigate challenges. Most of them are free.
Get help