WHEN it comes to the extra product offerings available through superannuation, few are aware of increased super lump-sum death benefits.

They are otherwise known as anti-detriment payments. As such, they do not realise that in the unfortunate case of death, it provides a great opportunity to boost the benefit that will be paid to your dependants.

So what exactly is this form of payment and how can you ensure eligibility?

Readers’ emails are a good indication of what worries people most. The dominant theme for 2010 is impending change. In nine months we have seen the release of the Ripoll report into financial planning, the Henry tax review and the Cooper review into superannuation.

Add to this a sharemarket that started with a bang but soon lost impetus, tighter lending to some businesses and a housing market that is one of the most expensive in the world. Charles Darwin came up with the answer years ago: ”It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives – it is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

When you die the Trustee of your super fund decides on the dependants who receive your super. Many people are blissfully unaware that their entire super, and often their insurance benefits, are up for grabs amongst the dependants they leave behind.