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Tag: retirement

Making death less taxing for your kids

SUMMARY: Do you want to make it tax-free for the next generation? A recontribution strategy requires some forward planning. We all know and love super as this great income stream that comes to us tax-free eventually, usually after we turn 60 or 65. Well, most of it comes tax-free to nearly all of us. There […]

The biggest super question of all

SUMMARY: How much super should I have now for someone my age? Here’s a starting point – by 50, you should have 3.5 times your current salary. “I’m X years old. I’ve got $Y in super. Am I on track for a comfortable retirement?” There is an overabundance of statistics in superannuation. Government instrumentalities and […]

Joint SMSFs: No such thing as “ours”

SUMMARY: One SMSF – many accounts. Why your SMSF has “yours” and “mine”, but no “ours”. It’s time to bust a myth about SMSFs. Perhaps it’s more misunderstanding or misconception than myth. But it’s certainly time to crush it. Your SMSF, if there are two members, has at least two accounts. There is “yours”. And […]

Six tips for your pension shift

PORTFOLIO POINT: A change in investment styles as you shift to pension? Here are six things to consider. An important positive about tax rules is that they are largely don’t change too much. If you know what the rules are, you can plan for them and play them to your advantage. For SMSF trustees, tax […]

Super duo strategies to cut tax

PORTFOLIO POINT: Uneven incomes in your couple? And at least one of you is considering a pension? Here’s a strategy for you. Money is, from the results of most surveys, one of the top three topics for arguments in a household. The joining of a couple’s finances can lead to all sorts of tensions, from […]

Why compulsory annuities won’t suit SMSFs

PORTFOLIO POINT: The spectre of compulsory super annuities is increasing. And I don’t think SMSF trustees will be too thrilled. A considerable number of voices believe it’s one of the last great reforms needed to get Australia’s superannuation system up to world’s best. Compulsory annuities. When you hit retirement age – or some defined qualifying […]

A tax take on pension fund investing

PORTFOLIO POINT: If you no longer had to pay tax, would it change the way you invested? Taxation distorts decision making when it comes to investments. Taxation distorts a lot of things, including my face when I see my quarterly BAS/IAS. Tax law can channel investment down one path or another. It can promote or […]

Has superannuation become a good vehicle to invest in residential real estate? Why or why not?

Jennifer Hawkins looks good in anything, right? But how much hotter is she in a swimsuit? Similarly, residential property has always looked sexy in super. Super, like a bathing cozzie, is a skimpy tax environment. Recent superannuation rule changes have put property in a bikini. Now, it’s smokin’ hot! The hottest super model of the […]

Living today, paying tomorrow: A super dilemma

PORTFOLIO POINT: Have Australians “outsmarted” superannuation? Here’s a compelling argument for compulsory annuities. What happens when the best of intentions from our elected representatives is beaten by the people’s own mathematical ingenuity? What if someone forces you to save money against your will, but given the knowledge that those savings will eventually become yours, you […]

Winning lotto is unlikely but we can always dream. What should you do with a $1 million windfall?

Say to yourself: “Cool! One million down, one million to go”. On its own, it’s not retirement material for a Gen Xer. Or, at least it shouldn’t be. A million bucks ain’t what it used to be. While it’s not a bad start, Xers should be aiming higher than that. (And, funny, this is the […]