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19 September 2025
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An ANU study has found that families with at least one super balance over $3 million have average wealth exceeding $19 million - suggesting most are well placed to absorb taxes on unrealised capital gains.
The new super tax is a heavy surcharge on long-term investments because most of the gains from growth assets such as shares and property come from value gains which are mainly due to inflation.
The equity or inequity of super tax breaks for retirees has provoked intense debate among Firstlinks' readers. Some view them as a travesty while others believe they're fair and what the system was designed to do.
Superannuation has become a bit of a political football and there's noise around further changes to the system. While super isn't perfect, more changes could add further complexity to a system that's served us well.
Rather than compare results against APRA's benchmark, large super funds which failed the YFYS performance test are using another measure such as a CPI+ target, with more favourable results to show their members.
The solutions to retirement problems are obvious. All we need are 'efficiency' and 'flexibility'. Learn what these two words mean and the future of superannuation policy is clear. Just don't tell Paul Keating.
Senator Jane Hume is the new Assistant Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and Financial Technology. Her first public statements included no new policies but a commitment to delivering greater efficiencies.
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.
The added complexity of the new superannuation rules increases the compliance burden for investors and their advisers, and the requirements around the $1.6 million threshold are especially complex.
The ATO has announced a relaxed approach to the treatment of death benefit income streams by a spouse provided action is taken before 1 July 2017.
The transfer balance cap affects the amount of a deceased member’s benefits that can be paid to the surviving spouse as a pension or income stream, but there’s a way to retain it in the super system.
Government-sponsored reviews often focus on costs and efficiencies because they are easier to measure, but far greater gains can be made if the super system is encouraged to innovate, even if it comes with costs.
Australia could unlock smarter investment and greater equity by reforming housing tax concessions. Rethinking exemptions on the family home could benefit most Australians, especially renters and owners of modest homes.
The creator of the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals, Bill Bengen, has written a new book outlining fresh strategies to outlive your money, including holding fewer stocks in early retirement before increasing allocations.
This AI cycle feels less like a revolution and more like a rerun. Just like fibre in 2000, shale in 2014, and cannabis in 2019, the technology or product is real but the capital cycle will be brutal. Investors beware.
An explosion in low-skilled migration to Australia has depressed wages, killed productivity, and cut rental vacancy rates to near decades-lows. It’s time both sides of politics addressed the issue.
Are franking credits factored into share prices? The data suggests they're probably not, and there are certain types of stocks that offer higher franking credits as well as the prospect for higher returns.
LICs are continuing to struggle with large discounts and frustrated investors are wondering whether it’s worth holding onto them. This explains why the next 6-12 months will be make or break for many LICs.