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1 December 2023

Home / Sponsors / Heffron

Heffron

We are an independent SMSF specialist firm that helps trustees, financial advisers and accountants use SMSFs effectively as a retirement saving structure.

For 20 years we have been at the forefront of providing SMSF solutions and today we are one of Australia’s largest independent SMSF service providers.

Our team of market leading experts provide education and training, technical support for advisers and accountants, and implementation services such as administration, actuarial certificates and document creation. With our many years of practical experience we can help you get the most out of your SMSF.

Heffron SMSF

To find out more, visit www.heffron.com.au.

Latest sponsor articles

Meg on SMSFs: Is a binding death benefit nomination worth it?

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.

Meg on SMSFs: negative earnings and the $3 million tax

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.

Meg on SMSFs: Timing and the new super tax

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.

Meg on SMSFs: should I start my pension before selling assets?

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?

Meg on SMSFs: why my kids don’t belong to my SMSF… yet

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.

Meg on SMSFs: watch traps in EOFY contributions

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.

Meg on SMSFs: Adjusting to the new tax on super over $3 million

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.

Meg on SMSFs: Total Super Balance quirks unpacked

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.  

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.

Meg on SMSFs: pensions and the power of partial commutations

Why does it matter what sort of payment is taken from a superannuation account? It makes sense to run down an accumulation account rather than a pension account, but what about using a 'partial commutation'.

Meg on SMSFs: should you start a pension before selling assets?

A super fund stops paying tax when it is in the pension phase, which can mean a tax exemption on capital gains built up over many years. Does that mean a pension should be started before an asset is sold? Not always.

Meg on SMSFs: My 30 June 2022 'To Do' list

Meg gives her top five tips before 30 June 2022 for SMSF trustees and anyone actively managing their super. It's easy to overlook these steps, and one in particular could handsomely increase your super balance.

Meg on SMSFs: Powers of attorney for your fund

Granting an enduring power of attorney is an important decision for the trustees of an SMSF. There are alternatives and protections to consider including who should perform this vital role and when.

Meg on SMSFs – More on future-proofing your fund

Single-member SMSFs face challenges where the eventual beneficiaries (or support team in the event of incapacity) will be the member’s adult children. Even worse, what happens if one or more of the children live overseas?

Meg on SMSFs: Future proofing your own fund

In a new monthly column to assist trustees, specialist Meg Heffron will explore issues relating to managing your SMSF. She starts with tips on preparing an SMSF for the potential incapacity of a trustee.  

Sponsor White Papers

The ins and outs of SMSF pensions

Superannuation is ultimately about saving for retirement. But even once you retire, you don’t have to take all your money out of super. Often the best way to manage it in the long term, is to start a 'superannuation income stream' or 'pension' within your SMSF.

Everything you need to know about super contributions in FY23

Superannuation comes with some great tax breaks and like anything with great tax concessions, there are rules to follow. In this guide, we run through some of the key contribution rules and some handy tips about how to make the most of them.

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Most viewed in recent weeks

Australians unprepared for $3.5 trillion wealth transfer

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.

Welcome to Firstlinks Edition 534 with weekend update

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.

  • 9 November 2023

18 rules for ageing well

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'.

Why the ASX 200 has gone nowhere in 16 years

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.

The challenges of building a lazy portfolio

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.

SAPTO and LITO, or do you really need an SMSF?

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.

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