Written by Robin Bowerman, Head of Corporate Affairs at Vanguard/Board Director of the SMSF Association Given that self-managed super funds (SMSFs) hold more than half of the retirement dollars in super, it is easy to assume that self-managed super is dominated by older members. Not so. In reality, a high proportion of investors establishing SMSFs are…
Welcome to the first edition of the SMSF Connect Investment Series. Hi my name is Ian Irvine and I have been a keen investor for over 40 years. It all started when I was still at high school, when one evening my father took me to an education session at The Sydney Stock Exchange. Shortly…
The SMSF Association has released their review of the Australian Taxation Office’s 2016-17 statistical overview of SMSFs. It reveals a sector that has not only performed well but provides a positive outlook for its future growth and strong performance. So what are the key takeaways for SMSFs? The average SMSF establishment size rose to $521,000…
Written by Robin Bowerman, Head of Corporate Affairs at Vanguard/Board Director of the SMSF Association Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) have increasing unmet needs for advice about having a regular retirement income, investing in retirement and estate planning. The 2019 Vanguard/Investment Trends SMSF Report estimates that 145,000 SMSFs have unmet needs for advice on post-retirement planning while 80,000…
Opinion piece written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in the Financial Review on 19 July 2019. Licensed by Copyright Agency. Given the beginning of the new financial year is approaching, many are considering starting or continuing pensions. This also means, it is timely to take a look at transition to retirement income…
Written by Robin Bowerman, Head of Corporate Affairs at Vanguard Australia/Board Director of the SMSF Association Memories of June growing up in Tasmania are of bleak days, frost-covered windscreens, icy football fields and the strong desire to hibernate. But perspectives change – slowly in this case – over time. June in Tasmania is now a…
With a new financial year beginning, it is a perfect time to review your SMSF and give it a clean bill of health for the upcoming 12 months. The following list provides a series of considerations that you and your SMSF Specialist Adviser should review. 1.  Take stock of your SMSF investment return and…
In February this year, the Government passed legislation which prevents trustees of APRA-regulated funds from providing insurance to members with inactive superannuation accounts, unless a member has specifically directed otherwise. It is a common practice for many individuals with an SMSF to also have a secondary APRA-regulated fund which provides them with insurance. This may…
With the end of financial year fast approaching and certainty with Government and its super policies it is the time to ensure everything is in place for your SMSF before 30 June 2019. Below are some strategies that you may need to consider and ensure the plans you have in place are the best for…
Written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Australian Financial Review on 23 May 2019. Licensed by Copyright Agency. Are you like many households where there’s one much higher super balance and the other is lower? We outline why you need to change this and how to do it. Despite restrictions on…