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3 April 2026
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Unlike the rest of a person's estate assets, a will has no power over the decisions of trustees of a superannuation fund when it comes to the payment of a death benefit.
Transferring a death benefit pension can be complicated but new legislation from 1 July 2017 simplifies the process.
A point by point final reminder of actions needed before 30 June on large pension balances, plus good news about the timing to claim CGT relief to reset the cost base to market values.
The transfer balance cap affects the amount of a deceased member’s benefits that can be paid to the surviving spouse as a pension or income stream, but there’s a way to retain it in the super system.
Despite the confusing and technical nature of the CGT relief rules, it's important for SMSF trustees and advisers to consider their implications as decisions need to be made prior to 1 July 2017.
Superannuation death benefits paid to adult children can incur a heavy tax impost, but there are strategies available to avoid paying more tax than necessary. It's not always possible to know when you'll die.
Stay on top of the latest changes to superannuation rates and thresholds for 2026, including increases to transfer balance cap, concessional contributions cap, and non-concessional contributions cap.
In a shift away from solely targeting low inflation, central banks are considering raising inflation targets to combat economic challenges, but face potential drawbacks and conflicts in policy implementation.
The perceived underperformance of LICs compared to ETFs is due to existing comparison data excluding crucial information, highlighting the need for proper assessment and transparent reporting.
New research shows smarter portfolio construction—not new factors—is the real edge in the hunt for alpha. However, finding it requires a fundamentally different mindset.
Many 'diversified' portfolios are increasingly driven by the same narrow set of forces. As concentration builds beneath the surface, understanding how portfolios behave - not just how they’re constructed - is critical for investors.
Rising oil prices and inflation pushed Australian yields higher. Markets expect further tightening, but weaker growth may reverse rates. Locking income and maintaining duration is a sound strategy for widening credit spreads.
Investors often focus on front-of-mind risks, reacting to each headline event without considering long-term impacts. Cass Sunstein and Timur Kuran define this as an "availability cascade," affecting financial decision-making.