Best of the Best 2018 – 102 gold-winning products

Putting together the perfect suite of financial products takes time. That’s where this issue comes in. Now in its 17th year, Best of the Best, as Canstar’s Mitchell Watson says, “continues to take the hard work away by awarding and shortlisting the best products available for Australians to consider”.

No fewer than seven research houses under the direction of Money’s deputy editor, Maria Bekiaris, were involved in bringing this edition to you. We’ve ranked everything from ETFs and managed funds to super funds, home loans and phone plans.

We even find the best wines for under $20. What we hope to bring you are low-cost, great-value products that can help you reach your goals.

While past performance is certainly no indication of future returns, what I like about these awards is that after 17 years there’s a real history and consistency. Take our Best ETF Provider, for example. Vanguard has won this title now for six years in a row. CommSec has taken out Best Feature-Packed Online Broker for 11 years. Intrust Super has taken out Best-Value Insurance in Super for six years.

But not all products show this consistency and, as Watson rightly points out, “as the market is continually evolving it is important for everyone to review their finance products routinely to ensure they are still getting the best deal in 2018”.