Written by Shelley Banton, Head of Technical, ASF Audits First Published by ASF Audits: https://asfaudits.com.au/from-mfa-to-the-sock-drawer-security-in-smsfs Security in SMSFs comes in all shapes and sizes. Tech-savvy SMSF trustees will have multi-factor authentication (“MFA”) enabled for all their investments, while others will happily rely on a sock drawer to store passwords. In the wake of recent cyber…
May 1, 2025
Your Handy 2025/26 Super Reference Guide
Updated as of 30 April 2025 Gain an overview of the 2025/26 financial year contribution caps, benefit payments, eligibility and more with our helpful Super Reference Guide. The 2025/26 Super Reference Guide is a useful and quick reference to help you and your self managed super fund step through the year with confidence. Download your…
March 31, 2025
How Long Will You Live? The Surprising Truth About Australia’s Life Expectancy
Powered by Optimum Pensions How Long Will You Live? The Surprising Truth About Australia’s Life Expectancy Here’s the big news: Australians are living longer than ever! But what does that mean for your retirement? The Australian Life Tables, updated every five years, provide a snapshot of longevity trends—and they highlight an important challenge: uncertainty. The…
March 25, 2025
2025-26 Federal Budget Summary
Super quiet on the super front Written by Tracey Scotchbrook, Head of Policy & Advocacy, SMSF Association As expected, the 2025-26 Federal Budget has a strong emphasis on cost-of-living relief with tax cuts, energy bill relief, Medicare and health. Nonetheless, it was a slim Budget, with the key ‘Budget Paper No. 2’ less than half…
February 27, 2025
ATO statistics reveal a resilient SMSF sector
Written by Fabian Bussoletti, Technical Manager, SMSF Association Despite the lingering possibility of the proposed new Division 296 tax being introduced, recently released ATO statistics point toward a resilient and mature SMSF sector – which continues to grow and evolve. According to the ATO’s SMSF statistical overview 2022-23, at 30 June 2024 there were over…
January 30, 2025
Increase in CPI a positive for superannuation strategies
Written by Fabian Bussoletti, Technical Manager, SMSF Association According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released yesterday, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2 per cent in the December 2024 quarter and 2.4 per cent annually. While this may have broader implications for the economy, from a superannuation strategy perspective,…
January 29, 2025
New Super Tax: A Sucker Punch to Economic Growth
Written by Peter Burgess, CEO, SMSF Association No one begrudges Treasury’s advice that Australia should have a fair and equitable superannuation system. However, continual claims that the proposed new tax on large superannuation balances will only affect a tiny minority and is in the national interest are shortsighted and fail to consider the ripple effect…
December 17, 2024
Your Super Update – Edition 6
17 December 2024 A round-up of some superannuation changes September – December 2024 and key developments that may be relevant to you, as trustee of your SMSF. It is important that you know what changes are coming, so you can effectively understand how they may affect you and the members of your SMSF. The contents…
December 9, 2024
SMSF Case Study: Loan Strategies from a Mortgage Broker’s Perspective
Written by James Power, SMSF Specialist Advisor (SSA®) Did you know there are many SMSFs with existing loans written several years ago? Take a dive into this Case Study to explore SMSF trustee Casey’s current loan situation. Casey is a trustee of the Casey Super Fund. The Fund entered into a limited recourse borrowing arrangement…
October 1, 2024
SMSF Trustee Structures — Individual versus Corporate Trustee
Written by Mary Simmons, Head of Technical, SMSF Association When establishing a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF), one of the first decisions trustees must make is to choose between an individual trustee or a corporate trustee structure. While both options are legally acceptable, there are many reasons why many opt for a corporate trustee. Over the…