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21 August 2026
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Australia should change its retirement system so people can easily access targeted support to plan their futures and fund their lifestyles by having greater work flexibility and access to equity in their homes.
The costs of super concessions are usually quoted in gross terms, ignoring offsetting behavioural changes and social security savings. The impact of very large balances should be measured in net terms.
Most people accept there should be a limit to the tax concessions for high super balances, but the mechanics of Government's $3 million proposal must be fixed before it is legislated. Treasury missed the detail.
It’s surprising there has not been more outcry about the age pension taper test in a low rate environment, where a ‘black hole’ creates a perverse impact of less retirement income the more a retiree has saved.
Continuing from last week's article on superannuation myths, here's another five myths relating SMSFs. Separating fact from fiction is a good first step towards effective discussion and informed policy.
We hear about what's wrong with our superannuation and retirement income systems and over time, exaggeration has crept in. We need to dispel myths and have a clear fact base as the foundation for discussion and policy.
Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.
Average super balances are one of the most misleading benchmarks. They ignore your goals, spending and future needs, creating a false sense of security. Here is how I calculate exactly where I need to be at every decade.
Most people spend decades planning how to retire. Far fewer plan for what comes next. The biggest retirement challenge isn't always financial, and it often catches even the most prepared retirees completely off guard.
Most Australian portfolios are concentrated in large caps, with relatively little exposure to smaller companies. But what if the biggest risk isn't the economy, interest rates or valuations? For many, the risk is hidden in plain sight.
Many investors remain concentrated in shares, cash and property. Despite their popularity among institutional investors, real assets remain underrepresented in many SMSF portfolios. Could they be the missing piece?
Investors spend decades learning how to stay invested, yet few have a plan for getting out. When a financial goal has a hard deadline, a worked example shows why a fixed derisking schedule should outrank buy-and-hold discipline.
Why have active managers struggled as passive investing has surged? Research suggests that flows into index funds and ETFs are creating structural headwinds, penalising the stock-picking strategies that once generated alpha.