A big slice of Australia’s retirement savings is tied up in so-called private markets — assets that don’t trade on stock exchanges and are often hard to value or sell. This week, Rebecca Jones speaks with reporter Richard Henderson about what happens when those opaque investments go wrong, and what that reveals about the growing risks inside the A$4.3 trillion super system.

As more super funds pour money into unlisted real estate, private equity and infrastructure, regulators are sounding the alarm about transparency and valuation. We unpack what the watchdog’s warnings mean for investors, why these deals can turn sour quickly, and how Australia’s biggest funds are managing the balance between risk and return in the race to grow members’ savings.