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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Opinion piece written by John Maroney, CEO, SMSF Association First published in The Financial Review on 10 October 2019. Licensed by Copyright Agency. Are you considering SMSF property investment? Direct property is an investment that self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees are likely to consider at some stage. In fact, direct property investments make up about…