When it comes to winning Australians’ trust, the superannuation industry is beating banking, energy and even the local supermarket, according to new research from Canstar.
More than 10,000 Australians were surveyed for Canstar’s 2026 Most Trusted Brand Awards, revealing which industries consumers believe will do the right thing by them and which brands are leading the way in terms of trust.
The trust stakes: who comes out on top?
Superannuation has emerged as Australia’s most trusted industry among the sectors assessed, with 73% of respondents agreeing that super funds are reliable, look after their members’ interests and act fairly.
NBN providers came in second, at 65%, followed by home and car insurance at 64%.
The result puts super ahead of several everyday services that play a major role in household finances, including banking and energy.
The research also challenges the idea that bigger automatically means better when it comes to consumer trust. Across all seven categories, the winning brand was not the one with the largest number of customers represented in the survey.
The brands winning Australians’ trust
Award | Winner | Why? |
|---|---|---|
Superannuation | Australian Retirement Trust | Strong investment returns, long-term stability, a reputation for member-first governance. |
NBN provider | Aussie Broadband | Reliable connection speeds, highly-rated local customer support, strong word-of-mouth recommendations. |
Health insurance | HCF | Not-for-profit structure, long-standing market reputation, value-focused policies. |
Home and car insurance | NRMA Insurance | Established heritage, reliable, fuss-free claims handling process. |
Banking | Macquarie Bank | High customer recommendations, competitive savings rates, low fees, straight-forward digital banking. |
Energy retailer | Red Energy | Australian ownership, transparent pricing, helpful customer service, and renewable energy options. |
Supermarkets | ALDI | Consistent low prices, transparent value without perceived price-gouging, high quality private-labels. |
Note: Reasons for trust are paraphrased from feedback provided by respondents when naming brands, unprompted, as one they trust.
This is a reality check for businesses
Canstar’s Data Insights Director, Sally Tindall, says, “Trust is important when it comes to our money, particularly when household budgets are under pressure.”
“Australians want to feel confident that the companies they deal with are doing the right thing by them, whether that’s looking after their retirement savings, charging a fair price for their groceries or offering a competitive deal on their energy bills.
“Canstar surveyed over 10,000 Australians and something they consistently told us is that trust isn’t necessarily about being the biggest brand in the market. It’s about the way customers are being treated.
“For businesses, it’s a reality check: you can throw millions into winning new customers, but if they don’t trust you, you’re unlikely to keep them.
“Providers that can offer competitive prices, clear and straightforward bills and helpful customer service have an opportunity to stand out. But if customers feel they’re being taken for a ride, loyalty can disappear in the blink of an eye.
“Interestingly, what this research found was that those that trust a particular brand are almost three times more likely to be happy to stay with the company. When trust is lower, more customers are eyeing the exit.
“Trust is particularly important when it comes to superannuation because these are savings most Australians will rely on in retirement. It’s encouraging to see the industry score so strongly, but funds can’t afford to take that trust for granted.
“Members should still be checking their fees, investment performance and whether their fund is right for them.
“Supermarkets are a big part of everyday life, so when grocery bills take a massive bite out of household budgets, customer frustration can boil over. In this cost-of-living crisis, it’s not surprising that as a sector, it ranked lowest out of the seven categories assessed.
“When shoppers are scrutinising every price tag and hunting for savings, supermarkets can’t just talk about value, they have to prove it at the checkout.
“Losing trust, and having to win it back, can be a lot harder than winning and keeping that trust with a customer.”
