With the superannuation changes announced in the 2016 Federal Budget now passed by Parliament, there is greater certainty for you when approaching your SMSF planning and the contributions you might wish to make to your SMSF. Concessional (pre-tax) contributions made into your SMSF are included in the SMSF’s assessable income. They are taxed in your…
January 18, 2017
The $1.6 million transfer balance cap – what does it mean for you?
The changes to superannuation announced in the 2016 Federal Budget have been passed by Parliament. Amongst those changes was the introduction of a $1.6 million transfer balance cap which limits the total amount that can be transferred into the tax-free retirement phase. This new limit on superannuation will apply from 1 July 2017 and creates…
December 20, 2016
Life events and your SMSF
Your SMSF is highly likely to be affected, either for better or worse, by the life events that befall you as a member of your SMSF. This is because you are not only a member of your SMSF, but also a trustee, tasked with the obligations to manage and look after the fund and its…
November 27, 2016
Investments: What can I do with my SMSF?
Generally, as an SMSF trustee you are free to invest in any assets that will contribute to your retirement savings. Provided that at the time of the investment, you have a genuine and bona fide belief that a particular investment is appropriate for your SMSF and it is accommodated within your investment strategy, then you…
November 2, 2016
Can I buy a vintage/veteran/muscle car as an investment in my SMSF?
Vintage/veteran/muscle cars are considered collectibles and personal use assets. It’s important to know that when it comes to your SMSF, collectibles and personal use assets can’t be: leased to, or part of a lease arrangement with, a related party used by a related party stored or displayed in the home of a related party the investment must…
November 2, 2016
What, put simply, is an LRBA (limited recourse borrowing arrangement) in relation to self-managed super funds?
A limited recourse borrowing arrangement is where a superannuation fund borrows to purchase a single investment (asset), such as a property or a parcel of identical shares. The Superannuation Fund is required to set up a holding trust which will have legal ownership of the asset that is held on trust for the fund.  The…
August 1, 2016
Investment tips for your SMSF – Part 1
You don’t put money into your SMSF for it to sit in cash for 30 years or more. Your intention is to invest for your retirement and to get the best return you can now to ensure you have enough to live comfortably when that time comes. When you are investing your savings in your…
Keeping your self managed super fund on track
All super funds, including self managed super funds (SMSFs), are required to have an investment strategy to provide fund objectives and direction. This ensures the fund’s investments are directed to the sole purpose of providing benefits upon retirement for members and their dependants when they are due and payable. Under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act…
How do I benchmark?
June 2016 Over any investment period, if you want to benchmark the performance of your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) your-self, you need to work out 3 things: Your investment return over the period, using a TimeWeighted Return (TWR) method Your average asset allocation over the period How your return compared to other SMSFs or a…
June 2, 2016
The tips for rolling over to a self managed super fund
You may wish to roll-over (transfer) the money you have in superannuation to another fund. For example, you may have just established a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) with the aim of commencing an income stream or for investment purposes, retirement and you would like to move all of your super benefits to that fund. This…