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18 September 2025
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New data shows that despite talk about large super funds shifting from public to private assets, the change hasn't been dramatic. However, there are other things that may challenge the long-term performance of Big Super.
Super funds are increasingly allocating low and middle-income Australia’s hard-earned dollars to sophisticated and opaque unlisted assets. Reform is needed to bring transparency to the valuations of these assets.
We face a huge economic transformation that is not a priority for politicians. Yet a typical super portfolio emits about 28 tonnes of CO2 per annum through its equities ownership, more than the average household.
Given gold is liquid, efficient to allocate to and has a track record of protecting portfolios during equity market turbulence, is it worth a modest allocation to gold in a diversified super portfolio?
Even if a marriage ends amicably, there are complications when partners share an SMSF. You can't simply 'split' the assets on a handshake, and who takes the capital gains and what's the impact on an estate?
On the surface, a diversified fund looks the same as an SMSF with the same asset allocations. But to fund retirement, a member must sell units in the fund, whereas the cash balance is used in an SMSF.
1997 Nobel Laureate Robert Merton wants greater focus on the income that will sustain a retirement, and even Jane Austen understood this. And he has a surprising proposal to help with longevity risk.
Unless all members of an SMSF or SAF are of the same age and have the same retirement goals, the new super rules look like complicating tax payments when one member is in pension and the other accumulation.
SMSFs transferring funds to a tax-free pension account under the proposed cap of $1.6 million will not need to sell or segregate assets from an accumulation account for the same member.
If your SMSF has invested in personal assets like vintage cars or valuable artworks, new restrictions come into effect on 1 July 2016. You may need to find another way to pay for your passion.
Nobel laureate Robert Merton wants us to focus on the income that will sustain us in retirement, even Jane Austen understood this. And he has a surprising proposal to help with longevity risk.
Average superannuation balances are increasing with each generation as more of a person's working life is covered by compulsory saving. It won't be long before super is the dominant source of wealth.
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.