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Home / Author: Meg Heffron

Meg Heffron

Meg on SMSFs: Four ways super pensions are better in SMSFs

In many ways, super pensions in an SMSF and a large public fund are the same, but flexibility differences give the SMSF features such as drawing money out as needed, managing as a couple and no need to move assets.

Meg on SMSFs: Is it better to wait until July to start your pension?

The 'transfer balance cap' will increase to $1.9 million from 1st July, but only those who don't start pensions until then will get the full increase. Many retirees are wondering if they should wait to start pensions in their SMSFs.

Meg on SMSFs: Would a limit on fund size make sense?

Next year's Federal Budget might that be the time when we see something designed to break up very large SMSFs gain some traction. We run through whether such changes make sense and look for potential alternatives.

Meg on the Federal Budget: what's changed with super?

The Federal Budget may not have been the most exciting, but it's got a number of implications for superannuation. Here's a summary of what was included and excluded, as well as what was new and what wasn't.

Meg on SMSFs: when should I get rid of my SMSF?

Most people will face the decision whether to close their SMSF due to downsides of multiple generations in the same SMSF, tax reasons to move money from super and after the death of a more active member.

Meg on SMSFs: my own reasons for early SMSF establishment

In response to a previous article on delaying establishing an SMSF, Meg explains why she started early, long before she began in the SMSF industry. Anyone who expects to build a decent super balance should think ahead.

Latest Updates

Testamentary trusts: Treasury has picked the wrong reading

A decades-old estate planning tool has survived one tax crackdown only to be caught by another. The surprise isn't who the reform is targeting, but who could end up paying the price for drafting choices made years ago.

Latest from Morningstar

Does an American retirement rule work for Australians?

The 4% rule has survived decades of scrutiny, but Australia's retirement system changes the equation in ways most overlook. Before accepting or rejecting this rule of thumb, it pays to understand what really drives retirement outcomes.

Shares

Glencore lands on the ASX. Should BHP and Rio shareholders switch?

A coal-heavy miner with governance concerns isn't the obvious choice for investors. Yet, Glencore's ASX listing may offer something BHP and Rio can't. The challenge is working out whether the opportunity outweighs the risks.

Why does the system treat capital gains and losses differently?

Investors are often told not to let tax policy drive their investment decisions. Yet, under the new CGT rules, portfolio construction, volatility and even how assets are owned may have an outsized impact on their final outcome.

Economy

Three common sense reforms that Australia needs

What do frozen bank accounts, mortgage traps and pension penalties have in common? They're all symptoms of a system that makes life much harder. Yet the obvious solutions seem to have escaped the attention of Canberra.

Shares

The hidden cost of government debt for investors

Some of the important effects of rising public debt never make the headlines. Research shows the immediate effects may already be unfolding, influencing corporate behaviour in ways that many investors would never suspect.

Investment strategies

When do fundamentals matter?

Is fundamental investing losing its grip on markets? Investors continue to search for valuation-based explanations for every price move, but the dominant force behind short-term returns may be something else altogether.

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