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Stephen Lawrence

The allure of business real property in SMSFs

An SMSF can buy business real property and lease it to a member and the laws and processes are clear. The rent paid is classed as income from the investment rather than a contribution from the member.

Catch-up contributions are a tax planning opportunity

Deferring concessional contributions to a year when an individual’s taxable income is higher by making 'catch-up' contributions can create a sizable tax arbitrage between tax paid within the fund and tax paid personally.

Is the super withdrawal and re-contribution strategy over?

The advantages of using re-contributions to minimise taxable components within super will dry up after 1 July 2017, but those in a position to make the most of it now, should consider seeking advice and doing so.

Oh dear, not another glitch with borrowing in SMSFs

Purchasing shares for your SMSF under a highly-leveraged Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement should take into account the ATO's 45-day rule, or risk losing the imputation credits.

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Retirement

Will you run out of money in retirement?

Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think. 

Investing

The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.

Shares

The role of shareholder yield in a portfolio

Investors may be overlooking a timeless source of returns in a volatile market. The companies that consistently generate and return cash to shareholders have often proved remarkably resilient through uncertainty.

Shares

Australian inflation still well above the RBA's target

The RBA has spent more than three decades pursuing its 2%-3% inflation target. But the numbers tell a far more complicated story than the headlines. The results may surprise both its strongest critics and most loyal defenders.

Retirement

Retirement in reality - 5 months in

Retirement planning doesn't end when work does. Five months in, Joanne reflects on retiring at a different time to your spouse, coping with setbacks and the importance of rest. Some lessons only become clear after the fact.

Latest from Morningstar

What 6 key market indicators are telling investors right now

Are markets still expensive? There are the seven key indicators every investor needs to know. From gold and equities to bonds, oil, bitcoin and the US dollar. The data reveals where opportunities and risks may lie for investors today.

Investing

Can you ride the AI bubble without overpaying?

AI may prove as transformative as the internet, but markets are behaving as if success is guaranteed. As capital races towards unprecedented levels, investors should ask whether enthusiasm is getting ahead of reality.

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