Many of us will have heard the term ‘diversification’ and some will be familiar with the expression that it’s ‘the only free lunch in investing’. In my view, diversification, how you allocate investment assets coupled with an understanding of cash flow and the power of compounding make a pretty good meal! Simply put diversification means…
December 16, 2019
Superannuation death benefits – review your succession plans
Regardless of the size of your superannuation benefits, it is vital that you sort out your estate plans to ensure that you have a well prepared plan so that the right assets go to the right beneficiaries. You need to make sure that you get holistic estate planning advice and have arrangements in place to…
December 4, 2019
The do’s and don’ts of property investing for SMSFs
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 04 December 2019.  Licensed by Copyright Agency. Self Managed Super Fund trustees are no different to many other Australians – they relish the opportunity to invest in direct property. Australian Taxation Office figures show property comprises about 13 per cent…
November 29, 2019
New FASEA code could spell trouble for SMSF trustees
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Australian Financial Review on 28 November 2019. Licensed by Copyright Agency. Changed adviser rules could lead to self-managed superannuation funds missing out on valuable advice. Will SMSF trustees have trouble buying or selling shares early next year? With the new Financial Advisers Standards and Ethics…
November 26, 2019
Issue 5: Understanding the measures of performance in your SMSF
For those who have been following our series to date, I hope the articles have been helpful in building some fundamental understanding of how to set up, run and manage an SMSF portfolio from an investing perspective. In this instalment, I thought it may be helpful to continue in this vein and discuss some of…
November 19, 2019
Are you across the superannuation death benefit limitations?
As an SMSF trustee, you need to take special care when paying death benefits as you are responsible for ensuring that the payment rules are met. Strict rules apply, affecting who can receive a death benefit, the form in which the death benefit can be paid and the timing of such a payment. Click here…
November 18, 2019
What does it really cost to manage your own super?
Working out how much your SMSF should cost to manage is never an easy thing to do. Given the nature of SMSFs and the varying differences between trustees, finding easily accessible and relevant comparisons is difficult. The SMSF Association however has received information from the two largest online SMSF software companies which may help answer…
November 7, 2019
Typical SMSF costs ‘less than $5000’ a year to run
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Australian Financial Review on 06 November 2019. Licensed by Copyright Agency. Software providers to DIY funds say annual operating costs are much lower than the $13,900 cited by ASIC. What does it really cost to run your own self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF)? The Australian…
November 6, 2019
Research shows SMSFs continuing to diversify
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Brisbane Times on 06 November 2019. Licensed by Copyright Agency. It’s time to call a spade a shovel. When the two latest controversies surrounding Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) – single-asset funds (typically property) and the release of an Australian Securities and Investments Commission fact sheet…
October 29, 2019
Issue 4: Incorporating active and/or passive investment styles in an SMSF
Hello again and thank you for joining us in our SMSF Connect Investment Series. This instalment continues to build on the fundamentals of investing and takes a look at the features, benefits and difference between active and passive investing. The terms ‘active’ and ‘passive’ apply to the style a manager may adopt to meet the…