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Liam Shorte

The ultimate SMSF list: 20 checks for FY20

The end of FY2020 means more rules and regulations to check for members of public super funds and SMSFs. Take advantage of opportunities but also avoid a knock on the door from the regulators.

10 checkpoints before setting up an SMSF

It's fashionable to have an SMSF, and at barbecue talk, it goes well with the new car, private school, investment property and overseas holiday. But who should really have one?

Check the Centrelink rules before gifting

Gifting assets in the hope of increasing social security entitlements can be self-defeating. If certain financial levels are breached, the assets gifted remain assessable to the original owner.

Court defends super death benefits from bankruptcy

Falling into bankruptcy is rarely a planned event, and can leave little to start over. Recent court decisions provide confidence that when Plan A fails, superannuation is a good Plan B.

Why SMSFs should have a corporate trustee

Only 22% of SMSFs have a corporate trustee, with the rest using individual trustees. The benefits of a corporate trustee are not widely appreciated or adopted, but they will be realised when it's too late.

Reader questions on operating an SMSF

A compilation of answers to readers’ questions covering powers of attorney, enduring guardianship, succession planning and limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBAs) within an SMSF.

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Are franking credits hurting Australia’s economy?

Business investment and per capita GDP have languished over the past decade and the Labor Government is conducting inquiries to find out why. Franking credits should be part of the debate about our stalling economy.

Superannuation

7 examples of how the new super tax will be calculated

You've no doubt heard about Division 296. These case studies show what people at various levels above the $3 million threshold might need to pay the ATO, with examples ranging from under $500 to more than $35,000.

Have Apple and Google reached the beginning of the end?

It might be hard to imagine a world where Apple and Google aren’t dominant, but disruption often starts with tiny cracks. AI's emergence into the mainstream might have set the stage for a new generation of leaders.

Superannuation

Did retirees lose out when they accepted defined benefit schemes?

Defined benefit pensions were designed to offer security in retirement. But new tax policies and arbitrary limits now erode their value - especially for Australians who contributed their own savings to these plans.

Property

Why Australia's agricultural land boom has stalled

Farmland prices have flatlined, bringing one of the most dramatic rural property cycles in Australian history to an end. The market for agricultural land now seems to be entering a new and more nuanced phase.

Property

The retail property niche offering income and growth

Neighbourhood shopping centres have fought off one perceived threat after another. What's more, they continue to offer secure income from blue-chip firms and other tenants linked mostly to essential spending.

ASX plans to attract more IPOs don’t go far enough

High-profile Australian stock market listings, like Guzman Y Gomez's IPO in 2024, are rare. ASIC aims to streamline the IPO process to boost listings, but faces barriers like share structures and governance.

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