Super

The Federal Government’s latest aid and stimulus package of $66 billion includes a big superannuation component worth a couple of billion of dollars and more.

The favourite stock of Australia’s growing army of self-managed super funds is…Telstra. SMSFs own 18% of Telstra’s market cap or $7.3 billion worth, which 2.5% of the $293 billion that “selfies” have allocated to Aussie equities.

There’s a worrying new trend happening in superannuation that no one seems to have noticed: the amount of post-tax money that Self-Managed Super Fund savers have been putting away was approximately 10 per cent lower in the June quarter 2016 than it was in the same quarter last year.

In the wake of the recent Budget and with an election looming – What are the Government and the ALP’s policy plans for your SMSF? Here is the latest.

With just over a month to go before the financial year ends here are a few tips for strategic planning.

If, like me, you assumed Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison was going to go easy on well-established superannuation savers in the Budget, you likely share my slightly queasy feeling. It turns out we’re more alone that we first thought and that a changing landscape may call for a change in strategy.

One of the most significant triggers in the hunt for investment yield in global share markets has been the monetary policy of central banks.

In the years following the global financial crisis (GFC), many of the world’s central banks intervened to ease monetary policy and drive down official interest rates. The simple goal was to create an environment conducive to capital investment that would reignite growth in their economies.

The Potential Advantages Of Tax-Deferred Income From Property Funds

Rules relating to artwork in SMSFs were changed in 2011 following the Cooper Review into superannuation in 2010. Contrary to the claims of most poorly read advisers, Art is still allowed to be acquired in an SMSF and provides a significant opportunity for trustees to hedge their positions or provide necessary diversification to the fund.

For self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) investors, getting the right balance of growth and defensive investments is a dynamic challenge. Importantly, with careful consideration, the right portfolio mix can achieve both higher returns and create lower overall risk.

Self-managed superannuation funds have rapidly grown in popularity as they offer a highly customised solution to retirement saving. There is now more than $500 billion invested in Australian SMSFs.

So you’ve decided to join the million-plus Australians who are trustees of their own self-managed super funds (SMSFs).

The success of self-managed super has been stunning. In 2003, according to super research group Rainmaker, there were just over 260,000 SMSFs, holding about $108 billion in assets, or one-fifth of the superannuation pool.

SMSFs can borrow money to invest provided the arrangement meets the rules for SMSF borrowing arrangements. One of the key rules is that the loan must be made on a limited recourse basis.

Parents operating an SMSF should think very carefully before admitting their kids to the fund.

The ATO has released a draft tax ruling which outlines their view of what happens from a income and capital gains perspective when a pension payable from a fund ceases to be payable.

Interest is definitely growing in buying geared property through SMSFs. I thought I would share with you some of the common problems being experienced with this strategy and tips to avoid mistakes.

The Cooper review included 29 recommendations for reforms of self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs).