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1 December 2023
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A binding death benefit nomination makes sense if you belong to an APRA super fund, yet how about if all of your super is in an SMSF? Here are the pros and cons of having such a nomination in your SMSF.
There’s no good news in the draft legislation for 'Division 296 tax', the new name for the tax on super over $3 million. These worked examples show the flaw in taxing unrealised gains. And stop calling it a 30% tax.
SMSFs offer unlimited investment flexibility and most trustees make their own decisions but the majority of investments fall into five categories. There remains a strong home bias despite global opportunities.
Many people spooked by the proposed new tax on super balances over $3 million are contemplating withdrawing large amounts in the next few years before the tax takes effect. This isn't a good idea for most people.
Tax breaks are one reason to have long term investments in super because it can mean a complete tax exemption on capital gains that have built up over years. But is it essential to start the pension before selling assets?
More than a third of SMSFs have indicated an increased allocation to cash and cash-like products. Cash is often seen as risk-free yet it isn't, especially when high inflation means real cash returns remain in the red.
Should you bring your children into your SMSF? It's a complex issue that's likely to be different for everyone, though here are some considerations before making a decision - one that hopefully satisfies all parties.
Claiming tax deductions for personal super contributions can be an excellent EOFY step, but there are traps to avoid and paperwork which cannot be overlooked. The ATO watches that super is administered correctly.
Australian retail investors remain wary of the rising stock market. In fact, they are more defensively positioned than at the height of the Covid crisis, crowding primarily into domestic large cap companies.
We're close to the end of the financial year and it's time for SMSFs and other super funds to make the most of the strategies available to them. Here is a 24-point checklist of the most important issues to address.
It started out as a simple idea, but the closer the implications of the new $3 million super tax are examined, the more complex it becomes. It may require thinking differently about investments after 30 June 2025.
The Total Superannuation Balance (TSB) may sound self explanatory but many people with large super balances are about to care far more about exactly what goes into a TSB. And there are some quirks to understand.
A new report suggests that Australians are ill prepared for the largest intergenerational wealth handover in history. It's estimated $3.5 trillion in assets will be transferred from Baby Boomers to their children by 2050.
Many people in the Firstlinks community have been reading my articles and editorials for 10 years or more, and worked with me for decades before that, and deserve an explanation for why I have suddenly stopped writing each week.
The rules to age successfully include, 'the unexamined life lasts longer', 'change no more than one-eighth of your life at a time', 'nobody is thinking about you', and 'pursue virtue but don’t sweat it'.
The ASX 200 is around the same price that it was 16 years ago. The poor long-term performance can be largely blamed on our taxation system, which encourages companies to pay out most of their earnings as dividends.
John Bogle famously advocated a two-fund portfolio of US stocks and bonds. Recently, I tried to create an Australian version of the Bogle portfolio and found that what seems simple can quickly turn complicated.
Money withdrawn from super after age 60 is tax-free but less understood are arrangements that allows a couple over the age of 67 to earn up to $57,948 per year outside super and pay no tax with LITO and SAPTO.