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Tag: SMSFs.

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 […]

SMSF property: Understand the risks

PORTFOLIO POINT: SMSF and geared property is white-hot news. So, let’s not lose sight of a few of the dangers. I’ve never seen anything like it. And I’ve been writing about superannuation for well more than a decade. While superannuation “issues” occasionally get plenty of column centimetres in the mainstream media (while specialist media cover […]

Inside ASIC’s SMSF push

PORTFOLIO POINT: ASIC will make it tougher for industry professionals to push clients down the path of opening a SMSFs. The snowball in the numbers of SMSFs and the associated members and trustees continues rolling and growing. The latest tax office data, released over the weekend, shows SMSFs numbered 509,362 at 30 June, with a […]

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 […]

Seven deadly super sins

HEADLINE PORTFOLIO POINT: SMSFs open up a new legal world to trustees – and there’s a lot of rookie mistakes to avoid. Here’s seven of the biggest do’s and don’ts. The purpose of superannuation is to provide retirement benefits to members. And you would think that there is no group more interested in providing these […]

A single pot strategy

PORTFOLIO POINT: If you’re over 50, do you treat your super and non-super assets as two pots or one for asset allocation? Here’s an argument for the singular. Simply, the rules are different. Superannuation has one set of rules and taxation consequences. And your “normal” investments have another set of tax rules. For example, superannuation […]

Super frauds target SMSFs

PORTFOLIO POINT: Could you become a target of a super scam or SMSF fraud? Your SMSF is not safe. Here’s what to look out for. Bees and honeypots. Frauds and moneypots. It’s a similarly sticky attraction. The list of those who have lost wads to fraudsters and scam artists continually grows. Email and the internet […]

Super property bells ring louder

PORTFOLIO POINT: Property gearing in SMSFs seems to be here to stay, but beware. Plus: Roger Montgomery, I accept your challenge. At the time, it was one of the biggest surprise decisions to have ever occurred to the superannuation industry. In September 2007 – nearly six years ago – the rules were changed to allow […]

How super is your return?

PORTFOLIO POINT: How well did you do your job as SMSF investment manager last year? You needed to beat 14.81%. Unless you were still bunkered down in the ultra-defensive end of the investment world, the financial year ended 30 June should have been a good one for you. A ripper of a year for Australian […]

Multiple funds the answer to taking pension while working

PORTFOLIO POINT: Can your SMSF give you simultaneous pension and accumulation funds? Yes, here’s how. It’s an area many SMSF trustees don’t understand well – even those who might have been operating SMSFs for long periods. Trustees understand that their SMSF is there to eventually pay a pension. Therefore, at some stage, it must convert […]