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Monday, 20 September 2021
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Watch the exact timing of super contributions to create a tax deduction, especially this year, and anyone with a pension that reverts to another person on death has particular timing issues to address.
Rarely do we go into an election with such contrasting policies from the major parties, and no more so than in superannuation. The nation's decision on 18 May will have a big impact on retirement savings.
Sections of the superannuation industry presented a wishlist to Government for the 2019 Budget. How many changes made it into Josh Frydenberg's document? None of the significant ones.
An inducement offer by a super fund is currently active, and it is creating confusion about what marketing is permissible, given that previously, regulators held such to be in violation of the sole purpose test.
The tax benefits of holding money in an SMSF come with a responsibility to follow the rules, and the penalties can be severe for what seem like innocent or mistaken breaches.
A significant compliance breach can materially affect the tax effectiveness of your SMSF, so check you are complying with these seven steps and stay on top of the administration and obligations.
In considering whether setting up an SMSF is the right decision for you, weigh up compliance obligations and cost with the main advantages SMSFs offer over other super funds. The 6 key positives are enumerated here.
Even for this experienced SMSF technical services executive, the tighter rules for borrowing in his SMSF brought some unexpected problems. It's much harder now than most people realise.
What to do if super guarantee payments from multiple employers, combined with salary sacrifice arrangements, have resulted in a breach of the concessional contribution cap.
A couple can benefit if the person running against the $1.6 million cap on super pension balances contributes to the spouse’s super. It’s worth checking the eligibility requirements and tax offsets.
With the maximum number of members in an SMSF likely to increase from four to six, weigh up the pros and cons when deciding if an increase is in the best interests of all members.
In certain limited circumstances, especially relating to Business Real Property, it is possible for an SMSF to acquire property from a member but check the rules carefully to avoid penalties.
Who knew? With some surprise results, the Government is on unexpected firm ground in asking people to draw on all their assets in retirement, although the comments show what feisty and informed readers we have.
The RBA Governor says rising house prices are due to "the design of our taxation and social security systems". The OECD says "the prolonged boom in house prices has inflated the wealth of many pensioners without impacting their pension eligibility." What's your view?
It's a remarkable statistic. In any year since 1875, if you had invested in the Australian stock index, turned away and come back eight years later, your average return would be 120% with no negative periods.
Never stand between Australian households and an uncapped government programme with $3 billion in ‘free money’ to build or renovate their homes. But excess supply is coming with an absence of net migration.
Picking macro trends is difficult. What may seem logical and compelling one minute may completely change a few months later. There are better rewards from focussing on identifying the best companies at good prices.
Some high-quality companies have emerged even stronger since the onset of COVID and are well placed for outperformance. We call these the ‘COVID Opportunists’ as they are now dominating their specific sectors.