A Perth nurse says she has been forced to return to work almost two years earlier than planned after losing $60,000 in the collapse of the First Guardian superannuation fund, cutting short precious time with her two young children. Kelly Forrest invested the money in May 2024, just ten days before the fund collapsed, having seen an advertisement on Facebook, and says she must now go back to her job in September rather than staying home until June 2028 as originally planned. She has spoken out to highlight the impact on younger families, arguing their losses are being overlooked because people assume they have decades left to recoup the money.

Forrest said she grew suspicious when contacts at the fund stopped responding to emails and calls, and later learned the collapse was likely already anticipated by those who had signed her up. She has criticised the Albanese government's handling of the fallout from the First Guardian and Shield fund collapses, which have left around 12,000 investors facing significant losses. David Anderson, former chief executive of the First Guardian Master Fund, has denied any wrongdoing in relation to the collapse.