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Stephen Lawrence

The allure of business real property in SMSFs

An SMSF can buy business real property and lease it to a member and the laws and processes are clear. The rent paid is classed as income from the investment rather than a contribution from the member.

Catch-up contributions are a tax planning opportunity

Deferring concessional contributions to a year when an individual’s taxable income is higher by making 'catch-up' contributions can create a sizable tax arbitrage between tax paid within the fund and tax paid personally.

Is the super withdrawal and re-contribution strategy over?

The advantages of using re-contributions to minimise taxable components within super will dry up after 1 July 2017, but those in a position to make the most of it now, should consider seeking advice and doing so.

Oh dear, not another glitch with borrowing in SMSFs

Purchasing shares for your SMSF under a highly-leveraged Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement should take into account the ATO's 45-day rule, or risk losing the imputation credits.

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Is it time to bail on Australian stocks?

For generations, Australian investors have backed banks, miners and dividends. But has that loyalty come at a cost? A look at the numbers raises an uncomfortable question about where future returns will come from.

Investment strategies

Making a case for the 40 year mortgage

The housing debate tends to focus on prices, interest rates and deposits. Yet an overlooked feature of the mortgage itself could help buyers enter the market sooner without abandoning prudent lending standards.

SMSF strategies

Red flags to watch out for when considering an SMSF

Thinking about an SMSF? Before you sign anything, learn how to spot the difference between genuine advice and a sales pitch, understand the real costs, and avoid the compliance mistakes that attract ATO attention.

Investment strategies

Not all income is created equal

Market conditions are shifting as familiar yield sources quietly lose momentum. Australian public credit may be the most compelling source of income in today's market but many investors haven't noticed the shift. 

Investment strategies

The market paid for change, not comfort

Reporting season has delivered a clear message: the market is no longer paying simply for quality, resilience or an earnings beat. It is paying for change in earnings expectations and the outlook ahead. 

Investment strategies

Will AI destroy investor capital?

Some of history's most important innovations changed the world while leaving investors much poorer. As trillions pour into AI, a familiar pattern may be emerging, one that rewards society far more generously than capital.

ASX reporting season: Signals, surprises, stock stories

August reporting season delivered strong earnings and bigger-than-expected dividends, but beneath this, a more nuanced story emerged. First Sentier Investors’ David Wilson and Christian Guerra unpack the key trends.

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