Thank you for joining in again and I trust that you, your family and friends are all well. There has certainly been a lot of water under the bridge since our last instalment less than a month ago and understandably many will be concerned regarding the combination of a global health emergency that has led…
March 23, 2020
COVID-19 – The Government’s economic stimulus packages explained
Over the past two weeks the Government has announced two economic stimulus packages to cushion the economic impact of the Coronavirus. A total of $189 billion is being injected into the economy by all arms of Government in order to keep Australians in work and businesses in business. This includes $17.6 billion for the Government’s…
March 19, 2020
Ensure your SMSF is best placed amid COVID-19 and times of uncertainty
The world is experiencing an unprecedented global event with the very real chance of an economic recession. It is important that as an engaged SMSF trustee, you understand the implications of the economic activity and ensure you have appropriate plans for your retirement. So how can you ensure your SMSF is best placed amid the…
March 5, 2020
When you should close your SMSF
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in Australian Financial Review on 05 March 2020. Licensed by Copyright Agency. The five ‘trigger’ situations include insufficient funds, declining mental or physical capacity, death, lack of time to oversee a fund and moving overseas indefinitely. The growth in the number of new self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs)…
February 27, 2020
Issue 8: Understanding benchmarks for managed funds in your SMSF
Over the last few issues, we’ve talked about building portfolios and a little while back talked of understanding some of the measures of performance in your SMSF so you can benchmark your own performance. But what about benchmarking the performance of the underlying investments you choose in your SMSF? Many SMSF trustees with exposure to…
February 4, 2020
SMSF trustees need simpler, cheaper regulation
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in Australian Financial Review on 01 February 2020. Licensed by Copyright Agency. Looking for straightforward advice and getting tied up in paperwork or high fees? Why it’s time for change. There is a pressing need for a new regulatory framework for self-managed super funds (SMSFs). The…
January 21, 2020
Issue 7: Portfolio construction in your SMSF (a little further homework)
Welcome to 2020! I trust that you had a relaxing time over the Christmas and New Year break and that the first part of our ‘homework for the holidays’ was helpful in building an understanding of your SMSF’s asset allocation or in helping construct an investment strategy to set the investment allocations for members within…
January 20, 2020
Why managing your retirement income is more important than ever
Written by Name, Title, Company Life expectancy in Australia has reached record highs with a male born today expected to live to 80.7 years and a female to 84.9 years, according to the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Male life expectancy has increased by 0.2 years over the 2015-2017 to…
January 16, 2020
LRBAs valuable asset for SMSFs in accumulation phase
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 15 January 2020. Licensed by Copyright Agency. Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) have always attracted their share of critics; lack of investment acumen and excessive costs are just two of the arguments made by those opposed to this $750-billion superannuation sector.…
January 6, 2020
SMSF alert on potential to lose tax breaks
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Australian Financial Review on 04 January 2020. Licensed by Copyright Agency. DIY super fund trustees need to be aware of new legislation relating to a fund’s expenditure and income. However, as the prices of property continue to rise in Australia, the affordability of property…