Advisers allocated close to 44% of self-managed super fund (SMSF) portfolios to exchange traded funds (ETFs) in 2025 as they sought to diversify client investments across multiple asset classes and geographies, according to an AUSIEX analysis of SMSF trading accounts on its platform.

The increased use of ETFs by advised investors is in stark contrast to self-directed SMSF investors who held only 9.3% of their portfolios in ETFs at December 2025.

New SMSF investors using the AUSIEX platform jumped by 20% in 2025, with the growth in advised SMSF slightly outpacing that of self-directed accounts.

The AUSIEX analysis shows significant differences in the investment strategies of advised and self-directed investors as they sought to optimise gains from rising markets, while also navigating an uncertain global environment.

“The role of advisers in actively managing portfolios for risk and return is apparent in the trading patterns on our platform. They are taking advantage of the wide range of listed securities now available to construct whole portfolios – not just buying ordinary shares for clients,” says Christopher Hill, National Manager, Strategic Relationships.

This was evident in the top 20 holdings of advised SMSF clients, which included multiple ETFs with different strategies and a range of today’s blue chip stocks.

The top holdings of self-directed investors on 13 February 2026, included two listed investment companies and two ETFs. Self-directed SMSF clients also appeared more eager to follow individual trends such as the surging gold price, with Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) ranking among their biggest positions.

The trend towards using ETFs was most pronounced among advised Millennials, who now hold more than half of their assets (55.5%) in the popular vehicles

Source: AUSIEX as at 13 February 2026.

Fixed income inflows surge

Fixed income ETFs are quickly becoming an investment vehicle of choice for AUSIEX clients. The net value traded of $A fixed income ETFs among SMSFs rose 46.6% year on year, well ahead of the 27% increase across ETFs overall.

Almost all of that growth was driven by advised SMSFs, which accounted for 96% of net value traded into $A fixed income ETFs through the trading platform.

The most likely alternatives to bank hybrids became apparent over the course of 2025. Advised SMSF holdings in subordinated debt ETFs rose 74.6% as investors sought new sources of income.

Domestic corporate bond ETFs also attracted strong demand, with holdings up 23.5% among advised SMSF investors.

“Advised SMSFs are becoming significant participants in fixed income markets. Their allocation decisions are actively reshaping flows and cementing ETFs as a core fixed income building block in portfolios,” says Hill.

The most held fixed income ETFs among advised SMSFs as of 13 February 2026 were the Betashares Australian Hybrids Active ETF (ASX: HRBD), VanEck’s Australian Subordinated Debt ETF (ASX: SUBD) and Vanguard’s Australian Fixed Interest ETF (ASX: VAF).

Global equities now a staple

Advised SMSFs also hold significantly more capital in international funds than self-directed SMSFs, with 23.9% of their total holdings found in listed global equity vehicles, versus just 6.4% for their unadvised peers.

“Advisers have a strong appreciation of the fact that Australia accounts for around only 2% of global sharemarkets and are expanding clients’ portfolios offshore at a rapid clip – whether that be through pooled listed vehicles or, increasingly, direct global equities,” says Hill.

“Five of the top 20 holdings of advised SMSFs as of 13 February 2026 were international equity ETFs, which shows the real extent to which Australians can use the local sharemarket to build core positions in global shares,” says Hill.

“It’s noteworthy that those funds aren’t just plain vanilla passive vehicles but include strategies which enable advisers to optimise portfolio performance – from currency hedging to ‘quality’ investing.” says Hill.

AUSIEX is a leading trading solutions provider, offering unique solutions and outstanding support to help advisers take SMSF performance to the next level. Get in touch and see how we can partner with you to help grow your business and the wealth of your clients.