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Monica Rule

Ten things for SMSF trustees to check before EOFY

As 30 June approaches there are many things SMSF trustees must consider to maintain a complying superannuation fund as well as take advantage of tax benefits. Here’s Monica’s top ten things for the ‘to do’ list.

Changes to SMSF contribution methods

If your SMSF receives contributions from an unrelated employer, you need to prepare now for changes to the way contributions are received which come into effect on 1 July. Paper transactions will soon be a thing of the past.

Beware Division 293 tax on superannuation contributions

Division 293 tax has arrived and many high income earners have already received an unexpected tax assessment on their super contributions. Find out the details and whether this new tax will affect you too.

Make sure going overseas does not spoil your SMSF

If your SMSF loses residency status while you are overseas, the tax penalties are significant enough to spoil your retirement. Being aware of the rules and options available allows you to avoid the hurt and enjoy the homecoming.

Six property potholes for SMSFs to avoid

There are stringent rules and regulations to follow when an SMSF borrows to invest in property. And despite what you might hear in the market, your SMSF cannot be used to pay off the home you live in.

SMSF borrowing for land development is not fertile ground

Using a limited recourse loan to buy property within a SMSF sounds great but the restrictions on such arrangements will work against you when it comes to improving or developing the land.

Latest Updates

SMSF strategies

Division 296: the initial moves to make before the windows close

What if the best superannuation strategy isn't about earning more, but acting before your options disappear? Several overlooked planning windows are narrowing, with consequences that can last for decades.

Planning

Avoid unnecessary CGT with this estate planning clause

A simple estate plan can create a ticking time bomb. One overlooked clause can pit spouses against children, delay inheritances, and potentially leave a family facing an unexpected tax bill worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Exchange traded products

The hidden trade-off in fixed income ETFs

Some investment trade-offs are immediately visible. Others are embedded in the way a portfolio is constructed. Understanding the difference may explain why similar-looking investments can produce surprisingly different results.

Retirement

The mortgage free retirement is fading

What happens when a generation reaches retirement carrying obligations previous generations largely avoided? New research suggests we may need to rethink both how much we need in retirement and what life could look like.

Retirement

The key question to inspire a confident and purposeful retirement

Most people spend decades planning for retirement. Far fewer plan for what happens when they get there. The difference may explain why so many find the transition harder and less fulfilling than expected, despite careful preparation.

Latest from Morningstar

Making the case for a 'good enough' portfolio

Some investors spend years chasing the perfect strategy. Others choose a path that’s simply good enough and move on. Which approach is more likely to deliver both better outcomes and a happier financial life over the long run?

Investment strategies

Is the US market as expensive as CAPE says?

Many investing ideas survive for decades. But that does not make them right. A famous valuation measure implies that US shares are dangerously expensive, but the evidence may point to a very different conclusion.

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