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Cooper’s super logic passes the ignorance test

It’s official! You don’t care about your super. You’re too stupid to learn. But you shouldn’t have to know anything about it. Even if that’s untrue, best to take the “Don’t worry, be happy” route, because nobody is prepared to teach you. So the new plan is … the government will just make super totally […]

“What is the most memorable piece of share market advice you’ve heard and why?”

There’s always an “it” toy at Christmas – the toy that trendoids simply have to get their children. It was Tickle Me Elmo one year. Inevitably, stores run out. Disappointed and desperate parents, who left it to the last minute but simply “have to buy it” for their kid, will pay anything to get one. […]

Cooper’s wrong assumption

PORTFOLIO POINT: We can only hope large parts of Cooper’s Super System Review are treated just like most of Ripoll and Henry – vastly ignored. There’s something fundamentally wrong with Jeremy Cooper’s review and recommendations into Australia’s superannuation system. And it’s something that every reader of Eureka Report (but particularly this column) should understand. The […]

“Mistakes on tax returns can prove costly. What was your biggest tax time mistake?”

I don’t think I’ve made any huge tax-time mistakes. I’m fanatical (my wife says “anal”) about filing receipts. When I started my first full-time job, I hadn’t done my returns for the last few years of uni. Through either laziness or, um … let’s go with laziness, I asked a mate for a recommendation. And […]

A simple way to lift SMSF returns

PORTFOLIO POINT: Cash is fighting back as an asset class. What sort of strategy do you have for your SMSF’s cash holdings? There’s no need to give an SMSF trustee a briefing on volatility. Any trustee with just three years’ experience knows the equity market highs (2007), lows (2008) and rebounds (2009). Property too has […]

“Super funds have taken another hit lately. Is it still the best place for retirement savings?”

Sure, super’s recent performance has been as exciting as Scott Baio’s career since Charles In Charge. But “super” itself isn’t to blame. It’s just a low-tax vehicle, not an investment. For Gen Xers, this question has two prongs. Firstly, what do you do with “unavoidable super”? Secondly, should you contribute extra? Unavoidable super is the […]

Super a political football that won’t go far

Debt Man column – The West Australian (Business) For: June 25, 2010. Bruce Brammall Debt Man There’s been a lot of talk about reality lately. And when people start talking about reality, they’re inevitably talking about someone else’s lack of a grip on it. They’re outside the gates of Neverland. There’s the “Pim, is your […]

Cooper’s cruel and artless super plan

Sacre blue! That cheeky Cooper fellow wants to do what? He wants to ban DIY funds from owning artwork! No wonder the nation’s artisan peasants are openly revolting. But it’s not just artwork. Cooper is apparently going to seek a ban on super funds owning collectibles, jewellery, antique cars, yachts, race horses and signed football […]

“Scammers are getting smarter all the time. How can we scam-proof our finances?”

While we thankfully continue to embrace capitalist democracies and shun the “nirvana” of communism (don’t forget Animal Farm), the wretched will be attracted to your money like the ants chasing sugar in my kitchen. For mine, there are two types of financial “scams”. The first is generally illegal and has been covered by Aunt Kerrin […]

Beware SMSF insurance traps

PORTFOLIO POINT: SMSFs offer trustees the ability to get perfectly flexible super funds – inside and outside super – to meet members’ needs. Super research house Chant West has released a report that is highly critical of Australia’s managed fund superannuation providers in regards to the costs to members of insurance. In the last 10-15 […]