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16 August 2025
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The timing of lodging a notice of intent to claim a tax deduction on super contributions and making partial rollovers or withdrawals can make a big difference to the amount allowed to be claimed.
Awareness of common misunderstandings in relation to the payment of death benefit pensions can assist in estate planning matters. Given the large amounts involved, seeking professional advice helps.
Parliament is not expected to sit until August, and the anticipated new super laws for contributions by people aged 65 and 66 may not pass. Only act on the proposals if the new law is actually passed.
Bankruptcy is surprisingly common but many people do not consider the impact on their SMSF. An undischarged bankrupt cannot continue as an SMSF trustee, but the impact can be managed.
Understanding how super is treated in the unfortunate event of bankruptcy can help make the best of a bad situation. It's not a simple matter of anything in super is unavailable to creditors.
Understanding the new work test exemption rules may enable individuals to maximise their contributions to super and thus their tax effective retirement savings.
The creator of the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals, Bill Bengen, has written a new book outlining fresh strategies to outlive your money, including holding fewer stocks in early retirement before increasing allocations.
Are franking credits factored into share prices? The data suggests they're probably not, and there are certain types of stocks that offer higher franking credits as well as the prospect for higher returns.
ASFA’s latest estimates reveal that home-owning couples need at least $690,000 in super for a ‘comfortable’ retirement, yet only around 30% of people meet these thresholds, and the shortfall may deepen.
The role of family and community as foundations of a healthy society have been allowed to weaken. This has brought about Australia's spiritual decline and a thirst for dopamine that explains our high debt levels.
Despite the perception that successful investors nimbly navigate each zig and zag in the market, the evidence suggests otherwise. This approach can help an investor avoid self-harming their returns.
It wasn't long ago that investors were asking if US exceptionalism could continue. They now appear to be diversifying away from dollar assets and shifting to a more active US equity allocation.
This is a primer on high yield bonds - their risk and returns compared to investment grade securities, diversification benefits, and strategies for selecting high yield investments for enhanced portfolio yields.