By Stephen Johnson
Independent agency, SuperRatings, analysed the average fees of 16 industry and 16 retail funds and projected how much they would add up to after four decades.
The Industry Super Network-commissioned study found non-profit industry fund members were $77,888 in front compared with retail superannuation customers.
SuperRatings managing director Jeff Bresnahan said there was a 500 per cent difference between the highest and lowest fees of super funds.
"That's a very wide disparity for the same services," he told AAP.
Mr Bresnahan has lobbied Jeremy Cooper, the head of the government's super review, to make administration, investment and advice fees more transparent.
"If you fix that up, consumers can make a much more informed choice about what's best for them," he said.
But Investment and Financial Services Association chief executive John Brogden disputed the study findings, arguing that retail funds valued assets differently.
"Large corporate master retail funds have the cheapest fees - both in cost of advice and cost of administration - than industry funds," he told AAP.
Industry Super Network chief executive David Whiteley said retail funds wanted to replace commissions with asset-based or percentage fees as a way of exploiting consumer disengagement.
Mr Brogden rejected this, saying retail funds wanted to charge upfront, agreed fees and allow consumers to opt out of being charge advice fees.
Mr Cooper, the former deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, is due to deliver the findings of the super inquiry in June.
He is scheduled to address the Self-Managed Super Fund Professionals' Association of Australia in Melbourne on Thursday morning, a day before final submissions to the super review close.
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