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…
News
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 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…
December 16, 2019
Issue 6: Asset Allocation and your SMSF, where to start? (some homework for the holidays – Part 1)
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 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…