Below are all the superannuation topics that we have covered so far. Click any topic to view all the articles that refer to this topic.
$1 millionView 2 articles about $1 million. |
$2 millionView 2 articles about $2 million. |
$300000View 1 articles about $300000. |
$500000View 2 articles about $500000. |
10% income testView 6 articles about 10% income test. |
12%View 2 articles about 12%. |
15% pension offsetThe 15 per cent pension tax offset is available against assessable pension income where superannuation money is used to purchase an income stream.View 3 articles about 15% pension offset. |
2010 Federal BudgetView 4 articles about 2010 Federal Budget. |
2010 Federal ElectionView 9 articles about 2010 Federal Election. |
2010/2011 yearView 2 articles about 2010/2011 year. |
2011 Federal BudgetView 13 articles about 2011 Federal Budget. |
2011/2012 Mid-year Economic and Fiscal OutlookView 2 articles about 2011/2012 Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. |
2011/2012 yearView 3 articles about 2011/2012 year. |
2012 Federal BudgetThe Federal Budget 2012/2013 (also known as the 2012 budget) was announced by Treasurer Wayne Swan on Tuesday 8 May, 2012. The Government reveals how it is going to spend taxpayers’ money over the following 12 months, and whether it will have any money left over. Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan, has promised that the 2012 Federal Budget will deliver a surplus of $1.5 billion. The Government also uses the Federal Budget to make significant policy announcements about superannuation.View 10 articles about 2012 Federal Budget. |
2012/2013 Contributions GuidesView 3 articles about 2012/2013 Contributions Guides. |
2012/2013 Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO)The 2012/2013 Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) is an annual report by the Federal Government announcing further budgetary changes since the 2012 Federal Budget. The articles appearing here explain the MYEFO changes affecting superannuation, including self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs).View 6 articles about 2012/2013 Mid-year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO). |
2012/2013 yearView 2 articles about 2012/2013 year. |
2013 Federal BudgetThe Federal Budget 2013/2014 (also known as the 2013 budget) was announced by Treasurer Wayne Swan on Tuesday 14 May, 2013. The Government reveals how it is going to spend taxpayers’ money over the following 12 months, and whether it will have any money left over (surplus) or be in deficit. The Government also uses the Federal Budget to make significant policy announcements about superannuation.View 22 articles about 2013 Federal Budget. |
2013 Federal ElectionView 25 articles about 2013 Federal Election. |
2013/2014 yearView 2 articles about 2013/2014 year. |
2014/2015 yearView 1 articles about 2014/2015 year. |
2015/2016 yearView 1 articles about 2015/2016 year. |
50 per cent CGT concessionOnly 50 per cent of a capital gain upon the sale of an asset is included in assessable income when the asset is held for more than 12 months before sale.View 1 articles about 50 per cent CGT concession. |
9%View 2 articles about 9%. |
Account-based pensionsAn account based pension is a flexible retirement income stream that gives you unlimited access to your capital but no guarantees on how long the money will last. View 26 articles about Account-based pensions. |
AccountantsView 8 articles about Accountants. |
Accumulation phaseAccumulation phase is the period of time that a member is amassing a superannuation investment portfolio in the anticipation of funding her retirement at some point in the future.View 20 articles about Accumulation phase. |
Accumulation schemeAn accumulation fund, or a defined contribution fund, means that a member’s account balance equals any contributions to the fund plus earnings, less taxes and fees.View 2 articles about Accumulation scheme. |
Actuarial certificatesView 6 articles about Actuarial certificates. |
AdequacyView 4 articles about Adequacy. |
Adjusted taxable incomeAdjusted taxable income is a special term to test an individual's eligibility, based on income, for certain Government benefits, such as Family Tax Benefit, and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. View 8 articles about Adjusted taxable income. |
After-tax contributionsAfter-tax contributions are super contributions for which an individual or employer hasn’t claimed a tax deduction.View 4 articles about After-tax contributions. |
After-tax returnsView 1 articles about After-tax returns. |
Age PensionAre you eligible for the Age Pension? The Age Pension is the taxpayer-funded basic retirement income stream for those people who can’t fully support themselves. The single rate Age Pension is set to at least 27.7 per cent of Male Total Average Weekly Earnings. On SuperGuide, you can find information about the latest Age Pension rates, your Age Pension age, the Age Pension income test and the Age Pension assets test, and more.View 57 articles about Age Pension. |
Age Pension ageAge Pension age is the age at which an Australian can claim the Age Pension, that is, 65 for men and between the ages of 63½ and 65 for women. View 17 articles about Age Pension age. |
Age Pension assets testThe Age Pension assets test (also known as the Centrelink assets test) is a means test that assesses the value of the assets you own against asset thresholds, and determines your eligibility for the Age Pension and other social security payments. See also the Age Pension income test.View 16 articles about Age Pension assets test. |
Age Pension income testThe Age Pension income test (also known as the Centrelink income test) is a means test that assesses the level of income you receive each year against income thresholds, and determines your eligibility for the Age Pension and other social security payments.A means testing (or means test) is an assessment of any resources a person may have available to support themself. In relation to the Age Pension, whether a person already has enough money and resources to look after themself.
See also the Age Pension assets test. View 23 articles about Age Pension income test. |
Age pension ratesView 2 articles about Age pension rates. |
Age Pension transitional ratesView 4 articles about Age Pension transitional rates. |
AISTView 2 articles about AIST. |
Allocated pensionsAllocated pensions are flexible income stream that gives a person access to his capital but no guarantees on how long the income lasts. New allocated pensions not available after 19 September 2007. See account-based income stream. View 2 articles about Allocated pensions. |
AllowancesView 2 articles about Allowances. |
Annual leaveView 1 articles about Annual leave. |
Annual reportAn Annual Report is a document that gives super fund members a snapshot of the benefits a member receives, details of the performance of different investment portfolios and other important fund information.View 1 articles about Annual report. |
AnnuitiesAn annuity is an income stream that looks the same as a pension but is payable by a life insurance company rather than a super fund. View 3 articles about Annuities. |
Ansett AustraliaIncludes information on the Ansett Australia Flight Attendants Superannuation Plan, Ansett Australia Ground Staff Superannuation Plan and Ansett Residual Superannuation Fund.View 1 articles about Ansett Australia. |
Anti-detriment paymentView 3 articles about Anti-detriment payment. |
AntiquesView 3 articles about Antiques. |
Approved auditorsView 9 articles about Approved auditors. |
APRAAPRA stands for the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the regulator of financial organisations and super funds, which oversees the safeguards put in place to protect the assets of super funds.View 36 articles about APRA. |
APRA200View 4 articles about APRA200. |
ArtView 5 articles about Art. |
ASFAASFA stands for the Association of Super Funds of Australia which is the main association for the superannuation industry. ASFA also operates as a lobby group and makes regular submissions to Government on superannuation policy and other issues. View 7 articles about ASFA. |
ASFA retirement standardView 5 articles about ASFA retirement standard. |
ASICASIC stands for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, who are the company and financial services regulator and consumer protection regulator.View 33 articles about ASIC. |
Assessable incomeOrdinarily, assessable income is gross income before any deductions are allowed. View 6 articles about Assessable income. |
Asset allocationAsset allocation is the process to determine how much you allocate to each asset class; for example, the percentage of your portfolio to be invested in growth assets such as shares and property.View 36 articles about Asset allocation. |
Asset classesAsset classes refers to the broad categories of particular types of assets, usually categories of financial assets. The main asset classes are cash, fixed interest investments, shares and property.View 5 articles about Asset classes. |
Asset-based feesView 2 articles about Asset-based fees. |
Asset-test exempt income streamsView 2 articles about Asset-test exempt income streams. |
AssetsAn asset is any item of economic value, such as property, shares, paintings, furniture, cars or cash. In relation to investing, assets are generally known as financial assets.View 3 articles about Assets. |
Assets-test exemptView 1 articles about Assets-test exempt. |
AstarraView 2 articles about Astarra. |
ASXView 2 articles about ASX. |
ATOATO stands for the Australian Taxation Office. The ATO monitors Superannuation Guarantee, regulates self-managed superannuation funds, and collects taxes.View 84 articles about ATO. |
ATO supervisory levyView 7 articles about ATO supervisory levy. |
Attorney GeneralView 2 articles about Attorney General. |
Auditor contravention report (ACR)View 1 articles about Auditor contravention report (ACR). |
AUSfundView 3 articles about AUSfund. |
Australian bondsView 2 articles about Australian bonds. |
Australian Bureau of StatisticsView 1 articles about Australian Bureau of Statistics. |
Australian Business Number (ABN)View 2 articles about Australian Business Number (ABN). |
Australian Business Register (ABR)View 1 articles about Australian Business Register (ABR). |
Australian citizenView 2 articles about Australian citizen. |
Australian dollarView 7 articles about Australian dollar. |
Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL)The Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) is the licence required to provide financial advice legally. Any organisation (or person), including super funds, can’t provide financial advice unless it holds an AFSL. View 7 articles about Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). |
Australian Government ActuaryView 3 articles about Australian Government Actuary. |
Australian Labor Party (ALP)View 5 articles about Australian Labor Party (ALP). |
Australian listed propertyView 2 articles about Australian listed property. |
Australian real estate investment trusts (A-REITs)View 2 articles about Australian real estate investment trusts (A-REITs). |
Australian sharesView 28 articles about Australian shares. |
AWOTEView 2 articles about AWOTE. |
Baby boomerView 1 articles about Baby boomer. |
Balanced investment optionA balanced investment option can have more than half of a fund’s assets in shares and the rest in property, fixed interest and cash. A balanced option often has a similar meaning as a growth option, but is generally more conservative than growth. You need to check the underlying assets rather than rely on terminology.View 42 articles about Balanced investment option. |
Before-tax contributionsBefore-tax contributions (also known as concessional contributions) can include employer contributions, contributions made under a salary sacrifice arrangement and tax-deductible contributions by an individual. View 5 articles about Before-tax contributions. |
Benefit paymentsView 2 articles about Benefit payments. |
Best interestsView 4 articles about Best interests. |
Bill ShortenView 15 articles about Bill Shorten. |
Binding death benefit nominationA binding death benefit nomination (or binding nomination) means a fund trustee must follow a member’s instructions relating to what happens to the member’s super benefit if he dies. For a nomination to be binding, a member must nominate that his death benefit be paid to one or more dependants or is to be paid to the member’s estate.View 2 articles about Binding death benefit nomination. |
BondsView 6 articles about Bonds. |
Boost your superView 1 articles about Boost your super. |
BorrowingView 5 articles about Borrowing. |
Bring-forward ruleThe bring-forward rule allows you to bring forward up to two years of non-concessional contributions. For more information on the broader rules applying to non-concessional contributions, including contributions caps see SuperGuide article, Your guide to non-concessional contributions.View 23 articles about Bring-forward rule. |
Business debtsView 2 articles about Business debts. |
Business real propertyView 2 articles about Business real property. |
Capital gains tax (CGT)Capital gains are profits that a fund, or an individual, makes on the sale of an asset. According to the Tax Office, "Generally, your capital gain is the difference between your asset's cost base (what you paid for it) and your capital proceeds (what you received for it). You can also make a capital gain if a managed fund or other unit trust distributes a capital gain to you." Capital gains tax (CGT) is a tax on the profits that a fund, or an individual, makes on the sale of an asset. According to the Tax Office, "Capital gains tax (CGT) refers to the income tax you pay on any net capital gain you make and include on your annual income tax return. For example, when you sell (or otherwise dispose of) an asset as part of a CGT event, you are subject to CGT." View 20 articles about Capital gains tax (CGT). |
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) capThe Capital Gains Tax (CGT) cap is an additional lifetime limit of in non-concessional contributions, from the disposal of qualifying small business assets.View 1 articles about Capital Gains Tax (CGT) cap. |
CarersView 2 articles about Carers. |
Carrying on a businessView 2 articles about Carrying on a business. |
Case studiesView 5 articles about Case studies. |
CashCash is a low-risk asset that delivers a positive return; for example, a term depositView 10 articles about Cash. |
CentrelinkCentrelink is the Federal Government agency that administers Australia’s social security system. View 32 articles about Centrelink. |
CFDsView 2 articles about CFDs. |
CGT capView 2 articles about CGT cap. |
CGT concessionsView 2 articles about CGT concessions. |
CGT discountA CGT (Capital Gains Tax) discount is a discount that a super fund can take advantage of when it sells an asset previously held for more than 12 months. The CGT discount is one-third of the capital gain, which means that the tax applicable is effectively 10 per cent. View 3 articles about CGT discount. |
Chant WestView 35 articles about Chant West. |
Charter of Superannuation Adequacy and SustainabilityView 1 articles about Charter of Superannuation Adequacy and Sustainability. |
Choosing a super fundMost Australians have the right to choose a super fund, rather than rely on the choice made by their employer. Choosing a super fund is an important decision. You can learn more about assessing your current fund, how to compare super funds, and what to do if you want to change super funds. View 18 articles about Choosing a super fund. |
Claiming tax deductionsView 3 articles about Claiming tax deductions. |
Clearing houseView 1 articles about Clearing house. |
Co-contribution income thresholdView 3 articles about Co-contribution income threshold. |
Co-contribution work testView 2 articles about Co-contribution work test. |
Co-contributionsThe co-contribution scheme is where the federal government puts extra money in a person’s super account if they make non-concessional contributions.View 34 articles about Co-contributions. |
CoinsView 3 articles about Coins. |
Collectibles (collectables)View 9 articles about Collectibles (collectables). |
Combining super accountsView 4 articles about Combining super accounts. |
Comfortable lifestyle (ASFA)These articles cover how your superannuation can help you to achieve a comfortable lifestyle in your retirement.View 4 articles about Comfortable lifestyle (ASFA). |
Commercial propertyView 2 articles about Commercial property. |
CommissionsCommissions is a dirty word in the superannuation world. Commissions are an incentive-based reward system for individuals selling products. The more products a salesperson sells the more commissions the salesperson receives. Commissions are suitable in some industries but the most contentious use of commissions is where product floggers have claimed they have been providing financial advice, when they in fact they have been selling financial products. You can learn more about this fees versus commissions debate in relation to financial advice, and why commission-based advice is not independent. View 21 articles about Commissions. |
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC)A Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) cardholder pays a concessional price for prescriptions under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The card is available to Australians of Age Pension age who don’t receive the Age Pension and earn less than the income threshold for the card. View 11 articles about Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC). |
CommutationCommutation is the conversion of an income stream into a lump sum amount.View 1 articles about Commutation. |
Compassionate groundsYour superannuation fund may be able to release your super benefits before you retire, if you’re suffering a life-threatening illness, or trying to prevent the bank selling your home because of overdue loan repayments. You can also apply for early release on compassionate grounds to fund funeral or medical expenses, or palliative care. If you or one of your dependants are severely disabled, you can apply to access your super if this disability requires your home or car to be modified due to the disability.View 23 articles about Compassionate grounds. |
Complying pensionsComplying pensions (or complying income streams or complying annuities) are income streams that satisfies specific rules, including being payable for a person’s life or for a person’s life expectancy, or falls within the definition of a term-allocated pension. View 3 articles about Complying pensions. |
Complying super fundsA complying super fund is a fund that follows the rules contained in the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 and in the fund’s trust deed. View 3 articles about Complying super funds. |
Compound interestCompound interest (or compound earnings) is interest earned on interest or, in the case of a super fund, investment returns on returns.View 1 articles about Compound interest. |
Compulsory contributionsCompulsory contributions are employer contributions made under the Superannuation Guarantee Scheme. View 2 articles about Compulsory contributions. |
Concessional contributionsConcessional is a term used to describe favourable tax treatment. For example, earnings in superannuation funds receive concessional tax treatment. The term 'concessional contributions' means that such contributions receive special tax treatment. Concessional contributions are before-tax contributions that can include employer contributions, contributions made under a salary sacrifice arrangement and tax-deductible contributions by an individual. View 81 articles about Concessional contributions. |
Concessional contributions capBefore-tax contributions receive concessional tax treatment up to this cap.View 20 articles about Concessional contributions cap. |
Concessional tax rateThe concessional tax rate is a rate of tax that’s less than what a person ordinarily pays on income received during the year.View 2 articles about Concessional tax rate. |
Condition of releaseA condition of release is a term that means a member can take his super out of the super system after satisfying a condition, such as retiring, or becoming permanently disabled.View 32 articles about Condition of release. |
Conservative investment optionA conservative investment option is ordinarily, a low-risk investment option – a significant portion of the investments in cash and fixed interest investments. View 27 articles about Conservative investment option. |
Consolidated revenueConsolidated revenue is money collected from taxpayers to run the Australian Government.View 2 articles about Consolidated revenue. |
Consolidating AccountsView 2 articles about Consolidating Accounts. |
Constitutionally protected super fundsView 2 articles about Constitutionally protected super funds. |
Consumer Price Index (CPI)The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure that tracks quarterly changes in the price of goods and services. CPI increases are also known as inflation.View 3 articles about Consumer Price Index (CPI). |
ConsumersView 3 articles about Consumers. |
ContraventionsView 2 articles about Contraventions. |
Contribution rulesView 2 articles about Contribution rules. |
Contribution splittingView 4 articles about Contribution splitting. |
Contributions capsEvery year, you are entitled to make super contributions. If you exceed a certain amount of contributions each year however, known as the contributions cap, any contributions above that cap will be hit with penalty tax. You have two caps - a concessional contributions cap, and a non-concessional contributions cap.View 47 articles about Contributions caps. |
Contributions segmentA contributions segment ordinarily includes non-concessional contributions made from 1 July 2007.View 1 articles about Contributions segment. |
Contributions taxContributions tax is a tax of 15 per cent on before-tax contributions. View 21 articles about Contributions tax. |
Cooper Review (Super System Review)The Federal Government sometimes takes a closer look at the superannuation system and the super rules. During 2009 and 2010, the Government established the Super System Review, run by Jeremy Cooper, and the Tax Review, run by Ken Henry. View 32 articles about Cooper Review (Super System Review). |
Corporate bondsView 2 articles about Corporate bonds. |
Corporate fundsA corporate fund (or company fund or employer-sponsored fund) is a super fund with membership only open to employees working for an employer sponsor.View 16 articles about Corporate funds. |
Corporate trusteesA corporate trustee is a trustee incorporated as a company (made up of directors, also known as trustee directors or the trustee board) that performs exactly the same role as a single trustee, but collectively.View 1 articles about Corporate trustees. |
Council of Superannuation CustodiansView 3 articles about Council of Superannuation Custodians. |
CPA AustraliaCPA Australia is a major industry association for accountants. Accountants can provide tax advice and assist with the running of self-managed super funds (SMSFs). View 6 articles about CPA Australia. |
Crystallised segmentSuper funds must calculate a crystallised segment as at 30 June 2007, representing certain pre-July 2007 benefit components. This calculation should have been done by 30 June 2008.View 1 articles about Crystallised segment. |
Daniel BrammallView 2 articles about Daniel Brammall. |
De factoView 2 articles about De facto. |
Dear TrishView 3 articles about Dear Trish. |
Death and disability insuranceAn insurance policy that provides death cover and disability insurance.View 3 articles about Death and disability insurance. |
Death benefit dependantA death benefits dependant is a spouse, or child under the age of 18, and anyone (including adult children) who has an interdependency relationship with the member. Any other person who is financially dependent on a member is also treated as a dependant.View 1 articles about Death benefit dependant. |
Death benefit pensionsA death benefit pension is an income stream payable from a super fund on a member’s death.View 2 articles about Death benefit pensions. |
Death benefitsOn the death of a member, a death benefit is a payment from a super fund in the form of a lump sum payment (a superannuation lump sum death benefit) or income stream (a superannuation income stream death benefit). View 15 articles about Death benefits. |
Death coverDeath cover (or life insurance) is an insurance product that pays a benefit when the person named in the insurance policy dies.View 2 articles about Death cover. |
Death taxView 2 articles about Death tax. |
Deduction amountView 2 articles about Deduction amount. |
Deemed incomeDeemed income is income that is based on a rate of return that’s assumed for an investment even when that rate isn’t what the investment actually returns. View 1 articles about Deemed income. |
DeemingView 3 articles about Deeming. |
Deeming ratesDeeming rates are rates used to determine deemed income when assessing eligibility for Centrelink entitlements against the Centrelink income test.View 3 articles about Deeming rates. |
Default fundsSince 1 July 2005, the default fund is the super fund where an employer’s super contributions must go, if an employee doesn’t choose a fund.View 6 articles about Default funds. |
Default investment optionThe default investment option is the option a fund chooses for those members who fail to choose an investment option. The default option is usually based on the age and risk profile of the average member of a super fund. View 40 articles about Default investment option. |
Deferred lifetime annuitiesView 1 articles about Deferred lifetime annuities. |
Defined benefit fundsA defined benefit fund is a super fund that pays a final super benefit based on a formula that takes into account your final salary and the number of years that you work for your company or government department. View 11 articles about Defined benefit funds. |
Defined benefit pensionsDefined benefit pension refers to a term-certain (such as life expectancy) pension or lifetime pension that’s payable from a super fund .View 1 articles about Defined benefit pensions. |
Defined contribution schemesA defined contribution fund (or an accumulation fund), means that a member’s account balance equals any contributions to the fund plus earnings, less taxes and fees.View 1 articles about Defined contribution schemes. |
Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP)View 4 articles about Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). |
Department of Human Services (DHS)View 10 articles about Department of Human Services (DHS). |
Dependant under the superannuation lawsA dependant under the superannuation laws is a spouse, or child of any age, or anyone who has an interdependency relationship with the member. Any other person who is financially dependent on a member is also treated as a dependant. Adult children, however, aren’t considered dependants under the tax laws (see death benefits dependants).View 2 articles about Dependant under the superannuation laws. |
DependantsA dependant is a spouse, or child of any age, or anyone who has an interdependency relationship with the member. Any other person who is financially dependent on a member is also treated as a dependant. Adult children, however, aren’t considered dependants under the tax laws (see death benefits dependants). View 12 articles about Dependants. |
DiversificationDiversification is spreading risk by investing across a broad range of assets. View 2 articles about Diversification. |
DividendsView 4 articles about Dividends. |
DivorceView 2 articles about Divorce. |
DIY Super For DummiesDIY Super For Dummies (2nd edition) (Wiley, $32.95) is written by Trish Power and is a plain-English and practical resource for anyone running their own fund, or considering running their own fund. DIY super is a specialist area within the super sector because it is a microcosm of the entire sector — involving fund administration, compliance, investment management, tax management and retirement planning.Learn more about DIY Super For DummiesView 20 articles about DIY Super For Dummies. |
Double your moneyView 1 articles about Double your money. |
Earnings taxView 12 articles about Earnings tax. |
Eligible rollover funds (ERFs)An eligible rollover fund (ERF) is a special super fund that looks after benefits for ‘lost’ members.View 3 articles about Eligible rollover funds (ERFs). |
Employers Federation of NSWView 1 articles about Employers Federation of NSW. |
Estate planningView 4 articles about Estate planning. |
Excess contributionsThe amount of super contributions you can make are subject to contributions caps. If your contributions exceed those caps, the level of contributions above the cap are known as excess contributions. Excess contributions are subject to penalty tax in the form of excess contributions tax. View 11 articles about Excess contributions. |
Excess contributions taxExcess contributions tax is a penalty tax applicable when an individual exceeds the concessional contributions cap or the non-concessional contributions cap. The penalty tax is imposed on the individual rather than the super fund, although the tax can be deducted from the individual’s super account.View 35 articles about Excess contributions tax. |
Exempt amountAn exempt amount is an amount based on the pension’s purchase price and the life expectancy of the person receiving the income stream. This amount isn’t counted when assessing whether a person satisfies the Centrelink income test.View 1 articles about Exempt amount. |
FAHCSIAView 2 articles about FAHCSIA. |
Family Tax BenefitView 3 articles about Family Tax Benefit. |
FarmsView 2 articles about Farms. |
Federal Budget 2009 changesThe Federal Budget is an annual event, held on the first Tuesday in May. The Government announces how it is going to spend taxpayers' money over the following 12 months, and whether it will have any money left over. The Government also uses the Federal Budget to make significant policy announcements in superannuation.View 6 articles about Federal Budget 2009 changes. |
Federal Budget 2010 changesThe Federal Budget 2010/2011 (also known as the 2011 budget) was announced by Treasurer Wayne Swan on Tuesday 11 May, 2010. The Government reveals how it is going to spend taxpayers’ money over the following 12 months, and whether it will have any money left over. The Government also uses the Federal Budget to make significant policy announcements about superannuation. View 21 articles about Federal Budget 2010 changes. |
Federal Government's General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy SchemeView 1 articles about Federal Government's General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme. |
Fee-for-serviceView 2 articles about Fee-for-service. |
FeesSuperannuation funds charge fees or charges for looking after your superannuation account. Financial advisers can charge fees (or commissions) for providing you with financial advice and monitoring your investment portfolio. If you run a self-managed super fund, you may have administration fees, ATO supervisory levy, audit fees and actuarial fees The types of fees that you may encounter include entry fees, administration fees, exit fees, investment management fees, contribution fees, switching fees, financial advice fees and trailing commissions. Administration fees cover the general running of the fund. A person pays this fee, and often other fees, annually to be a member of a given fund; some funds charge higher fees than others.Adviser service fees are commission paid to an adviser for recommending a fund. Contribution fees are upfront fees payable to an adviser or a financial organisation on contributions an individual makes to a retail superannuation fund. Exit fees are charged by a fund upon withdrawal or transfer of a benefit. |
Fiduciary dutyView 2 articles about Fiduciary duty. |
Financial adviceIf you’re making significant financial decisions, or are serious about retirement planning, at some stage you’re likely to seek financial advice. The key is to use an independent financial adviser who is not rewarded with commissions for selling you financial products. Any adviser you use for superannuation advice or retirement planning should charge a fee, rather than accept commissions. |
Financial Advice Advisory PanelView 2 articles about Financial Advice Advisory Panel. |
Financial advisersView 2 articles about Financial advisers. |
Financial auditsView 1 articles about Financial audits. |
Financial counsellingView 2 articles about Financial counselling. |
Financial Information ServiceThe Financial Informance Service (FIS) is a not-for-profit financial education and information service that’s available to anyone. View 9 articles about Financial Information Service. |
Financial OmbudsmanView 2 articles about Financial Ombudsman. |
Financial Planning Association (FPA)The FPA is the largest industry association for financial advisers in Australia. Financial advisers need to hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) or be an authorised representative of an AFSL holder to provide financial advice to Australians. View 7 articles about Financial Planning Association (FPA). |
Financial services guide (FSG)A financial services guide (FSG) is a document that can assist you in deciding whether to use the services of an adviser. The document explains what services the adviser offers, how she operates, how the adviser gets paid (including any commissions), how she deals with customer complaints, and any interests, associations or relationships that might influence the advice the adviser gives. View 5 articles about Financial services guide (FSG). |
Financial yearView 5 articles about Financial year. |
First Home Savers Account (FHSA)If you open a FHSA via your super fund, and you make payments to that account, the Federal Government will give you a tax-free handout to help you buy your first home. View 7 articles about First Home Savers Account (FHSA). |
Fixed interest investmentsFixed interest investments (or fixed interest) are relatively low-risk investments that are effectively like term deposits, but not necessarily as secure. A person gives money to a bank, company or Government and, in return, it promises to pay the person a certain amount at set periods and repay the original amount after an agreed period of time. These investments can be traded before they’re due to be repaid.View 2 articles about Fixed interest investments. |
FlaggingView 1 articles about Flagging. |
Foreign currencyView 5 articles about Foreign currency. |
Franked dividendsFranked dividends are dividents that are paid by Australian companies and on which 30 per cent tax has already been paid. Recipients of these dividends are entitled to franking credits.View 4 articles about Franked dividends. |
Franking creditsFranking credits are pre-paid tax on franked dividends from shares. This pre-paid tax can count towards any other tax that a super fund has to pay, reducing any tax payable on concessional contributions or capital gains. View 4 articles about Franking credits. |
FraudView 5 articles about Fraud. |
Fringe benefitsFringe benefits are items such as cars, low-interest loans and car parking, that individuals may include in salary packages.View 2 articles about Fringe benefits. |
Frozen fundsView 2 articles about Frozen funds. |
Fund administrationView 4 articles about Fund administration. |
Fund choiceFund choice refers to a person having a say over what type of superannuation fund he can join. Fund choice is different from investment choice, which means a person has a say over where a fund invests his super money.View 15 articles about Fund choice. |
Fund earningsView 2 articles about Fund earnings. |
fundsView 1 articles about funds. |
Funeral expensesView 2 articles about Funeral expenses. |
Future of Financial AdviceView 8 articles about Future of Financial Advice. |
Gainfully employedView 3 articles about Gainfully employed. |
GearingGearing is another term for borrowing. The term gearing is often used when referring to investments where the investor has used borrowings to purchase an investment. You can have positive gearing, neutral gearing and negative gearing. Superannuation funds can only use gearing in limited circumstances. View 9 articles about Gearing. |
Genuine redundancy paymentsA genuine redundancy payment is a payment that represents the amount that exceeds what that person who has been made redundant would have received had he voluntarily resigned in other circumstances. View 1 articles about Genuine redundancy payments. |
Global financial crisis (GFC)GFC stands for Global Financial Crisis, the economic tsunami that hit world financial markets in late 2008 and caused a massive credit squeeze around the world. Many banks had to be bailed out by governments, and the full effects of the GFC hit in 2009 with the world trying to slowly recover in 2010 and 2011. View 40 articles about Global financial crisis (GFC). |
Global listed propertyView 2 articles about Global listed property. |
Global unlisted infrastructureView 2 articles about Global unlisted infrastructure. |
GlossaryView 1 articles about Glossary. |
GovernanceView 2 articles about Governance. |
GreensView 3 articles about Greens. |
Gross incomeGross income is income before any tax is deducted.View 3 articles about Gross income. |
Group coverView 2 articles about Group cover. |
Growth assetsGrowth assets are a type of asset, such as shares or property that usually delivers higher returns over the longer term than income assets, such as cash or fixed interest investments.View 7 articles about Growth assets. |
Growth investment optionDepending on the asset allocation, a growth investment option can sometimes be called the balanced investment option. True growth options generally have from 80% to 100% of assets in growth-style assets such as shares and property. A balanced option generally has from 60% to 80% in growth-style assets. View 37 articles about Growth investment option. |
Guest articlesView 4 articles about Guest articles. |
Hedge fundsView 3 articles about Hedge funds. |
HedgedView 1 articles about Hedged. |
HedgingView 4 articles about Hedging. |
Henry tax reviewOn 2 May 2010, the Federal Government responded to the Henry Tax Review report. The Government announced some exciting superannuation changes and flagged that more announcements were to follow in terms of tax reform. View 15 articles about Henry tax review. |
High-growth investment optionView 24 articles about High-growth investment option. |
How much super do I need?You can work out how much super you need to finance a comfortable life in retirement, or even finance a luxurious life in retirement. Use Trish Power's six-step retirement plan to work out your own target, or check out real-life inspired case studies and different retirement targets. You can also calculate how many years you need to plan for in retirement, or more specifically your average life expectancy. Below are some of our key How much super do I need? articles:
View 40 articles about How much super do I need?. |
IllnessView 2 articles about Illness. |
In specie contributionsAn in specie contribution is a non-cash contribution to a super fund; for example, transferring the title of an office into the name of the fund’s trustees or transferring ownership of shares.View 4 articles about In specie contributions. |
In-house assetsAn in-house asset is a loan to, or an investment in, a related party or trust of the superannuation fund. An asset of the super fund that is leased to a related party is also an in-house asset. You are restricted from lending to, investing in or leasing to a related party of the fund more than 5% of the fund’s total assets. There are some exceptions, including for business real property that is subject to a lease between the fund and a related party of the fund. View 6 articles about In-house assets. |
Income amountView 1 articles about Income amount. |
Income protection insuranceSome superannuation funds offer fund members income protection insurance, to cover a fund member in the event that he or she is unable to work for a period of time due to illness or injury. View 7 articles about Income protection insurance. |
Income streamsAn income stream is a series of regular payments over a period of time, just like being paid wages or a salary. Most people have a choice of taking their super as an income stream or as a lump sum.View 20 articles about Income streams. |
Income taxThe Federal Government charges its citizens tax on income. The income tax can be charged on salary and wages, self-employed income, investment income and other types of income. The ATO administers the income tax system on behalf of the Federal Government, and you must lodge a tax return each year reporting income and expenses. If you're an employee, you generally pay tax throughout the year via the PAYG system. If you're self-employed, you also may be required to be part of PAYG system. View 7 articles about Income tax. |
Income tax ratesView 4 articles about Income tax rates. |
Independent financial adviceThis section includes articles that cover independent financial information, independent financial advisers, independent planners, and the topic of independence generally. View 13 articles about Independent financial advice. |
Independent Financial Advisers Association of Australia (IFAAA)View 4 articles about Independent Financial Advisers Association of Australia (IFAAA). |
Independent informationView 2 articles about Independent information. |
IndexationIndexation is a method of adjusting thresholds or prices by linking them to a certain measure such as inflation or a rise in wages. The aim of indexation is to reflect amounts in today’s dollars. View 3 articles about Indexation. |
Indexed pensionsAn indexed pension is an income stream that increases in line with inflation or increases in average weekly earnings.View 2 articles about Indexed pensions. |
Industry fundsAn industry fund is a type of fund that usually caters for workers from a particular industry, although many of these funds are now available to anyone. See also public offer funds. View 51 articles about Industry funds. |
InfrastructureView 3 articles about Infrastructure. |
Inspector-General of TaxationView 1 articles about Inspector-General of Taxation. |
Instalment warrantsAn instalment warrant is similar to a hire purchase plan — a third party purchases, say, a shareholding in a company. You pay an instalment now on the purchased shareholding, and then pay interest every year; and, after a period of time, you have the option to repay the rest and receive full ownership of the asset. View 7 articles about Instalment warrants. |
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA)View 3 articles about Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA). |
InsuranceYou can generally get three types of insurance within a superannuation fund - life insurance, death and disability insurance, and income protection (also known as salary continuance) insurance. View 11 articles about Insurance. |
Interdependent relationshipAn interdependent relationship (or interdependency relationship) is a close personal relationship between two people who live together, where one or both provides for the financial and domestic support, and care of the other. This definition can include parent-child relationships that don’t fall within the definition of death benefits dependant, and sibling relationships. View 2 articles about Interdependent relationship. |
Intergenerational ReportView 2 articles about Intergenerational Report. |
International bondsView 3 articles about International bonds. |
International REITsAlso known as Global REITs.View 2 articles about International REITs. |
International sharesView 19 articles about International shares. |
Intra-fund adviceIntra-fund advice is personal financial advice without conducting a full ‘know your client’ process, provided that the advice relates only to the member’s account within the superannuation fund. Intra-fund advice can be provided over the phone, via email or face-to-face. Examples of this type of advice include providinf advice on switching between investment options, whether to make additional super contributions and the level of insurance cover that you hold with the fund. Under the intra-fund advice rules, your super fund cannot provide advice on switching super funds, or advice on financial products outside super, or advice on general retirement planning unless the full 'know your client' process is conducted by a licensed individual. View 8 articles about Intra-fund advice. |
InvestingInvesting is the act of purchasing an asset or an interest in an asset. View 3 articles about Investing. |
InvestmentAn investment is an asset, such as property or shares, that delivers a return in the form of earnings/income, or at a later date in the form of capital gains, when the asset is sold. Superannuation is an investment structure rather than an investment, although a super fund invests in assets that become investments.View 6 articles about Investment. |
Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA)View 7 articles about Investment and Financial Services Association (IFSA). |
Investment choiceInvestment choice (or member investment choice) is a feature of a fund through which a member has a say over where his super fund invests his super money. View 4 articles about Investment choice. |
Investment lossView 15 articles about Investment loss. |
Investment objectivesView 5 articles about Investment objectives. |
Investment optionsAs a member of a super fund, you generally can choose from a selection of investment portfolios, such as balanced option, growth option, conservative option or cash option. Some super funds give you the option to invest in specific asset class options, such as a property option or Australian shares option. View 12 articles about Investment options. |
Investment performanceInvestment performance (or investment returns) is the term often used to describe how much a super fund made during a period, typically over 12 months, or 3 years, or 5 years or 10 years. The investment performance is often expressed as a percentage, for example, ABC super fund delivered a return of 10% for the 12 months ending 30 June.View 69 articles about Investment performance. |
Investment propertyView 2 articles about Investment property. |
Investment strategyAn investment strategy is a formal plan identifying the super fund’s financial goals (investment objectives) and the fund member’s tolerance for risk and the investment time horizon. View 12 articles about Investment strategy. |
Is my super fund performing?If you're serious about saving for retirement then it is important to understand and monitor your super fund's investment returns (after fees and taxes). Your super fund's long-term returns are the key ingredient to a healthy retirement balance, along with your super contributions. Your super fund's investment returns can change over time depending on what is happening in the investment markets. This section gives you the opportunity to compare your super fund's returns with what other super funds are delivering. You can read about the investment returns of the 400-plus large super funds in Australia, as reported by three major rating agencies, and as reported by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).View 62 articles about Is my super fund performing?. |
Jeremy CooperView 5 articles about Jeremy Cooper. |
Julia GillardView 2 articles about Julia Gillard. |
July 2012View 2 articles about July 2012. |
July 2013View 1 articles about July 2013. |
Kevin RuddView 2 articles about Kevin Rudd. |
KiwiSaver schemesView 1 articles about KiwiSaver schemes. |
LandView 3 articles about Land. |
Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party is a major Australian political party and is considered a centre-right style party with some right-wing factions within the party. View 7 articles about Liberal Party. |
Life expectancyLife expectancy (or life expectancy rate) is a statistically based average of the number of years a person is expected to live. Statisticians can measure life expectancy at birth or during a person’s life. View 14 articles about Life expectancy. |
Life insuranceLife insurance (or death cover) is an insurance product that pays a benefit when the person named in the insurance policy dies. View 19 articles about Life insurance. |
Life tablesView 3 articles about Life tables. |
Lifetime annuitiesView 1 articles about Lifetime annuities. |
Lifetime pensionsLifetime pensions (or lifetime annuities) are a guaranteed income stream for a person’s lifetime and maybe the spouse’s lifetime too. View 2 articles about Lifetime pensions. |
Limited recourseView 2 articles about Limited recourse. |
Limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA)Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) can use the borrowed monies to purchase a single asset, or a collection of identical assets that have the same market value. The SMSF trustees receive the beneficial interest in the purchased asset but the legal ownership of the asset is held on trust (the holding trust). The SMSF trustees have the right to acquire the legal ownership of the asset by making one or more payments. Any recourse that the lender (or other party) has under the Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA) against the SMSF trustee is limited to the single fund asset (including rights to income). View 9 articles about Limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA). |
Living or working outside AustraliaView 10 articles about Living or working outside Australia. |
Long service leaveView 2 articles about Long service leave. |
Longevity riskLongevity risk is the chance of a person outliving her retirement savings.View 2 articles about Longevity risk. |
Lost memberA lost member is a member whom a super fund is unable to contact.View 1 articles about Lost member. |
Lost Members RegisterView 1 articles about Lost Members Register. |
Lost superLost super is a special term to describe super benefits that are recorded in the Lost Members Register. Your super benefits may be recorded as lost if your super fund cannot contact you (due to moving house or some other event), or your super account has not received any contributions in the past 5 years. You can find your lost super by using SuperSeeker, the Tax Office's search service which looks for your name on the Lost Members Register.View 14 articles about Lost super. |
Low Income Superannuation Contribution (LISC)View 8 articles about Low Income Superannuation Contribution (LISC). |
Low Income Tax Offset (LITO)LITO stands for the Low Income Tax Offset - A tax offset available to all taxpayers on lower incomes.View 9 articles about Low Income Tax Offset (LITO). |
Low-rate capA low-rate cap is a lifetime limit that applies to superannuation lump sums paid from a taxed benefit after the age of 55 but before the age of 60.View 6 articles about Low-rate cap. |
Making superannuation contributionsSuperannuation contributions (including personal contributions and employer contributions) are a cash amount, or in some cases an asset, that is contributed to a complying superannuation fund, on behalf of an individual under the age of 75. Super contributions and earnings on those contributions are the key to accumulating a substantial retirement nest egg. Find out how you can make concessional (before-tax) contributions, non-concessional (after-tax) contributions, receive co-contributions and more. Listed below are some of our key articles about making super contributions. For more articles on this topic continue scrolling down the page.
View 59 articles about Making superannuation contributions. |
March 2013View 2 articles about March 2013. |
Marginal tax ratesThe marginal tax rate is the highest rate of income tax that a person pays on income. The more a person earns, the higher the marginal tax rate. View 5 articles about Marginal tax rates. |
Market valueView 1 articles about Market value. |
Market-linked pensionA market-linked pension is also known as a term-allocated pension (TAP). The income stream is market-linked, which means no income guarantee is in place – income depends on how investments perform. A TAP commenced before 20 September 2007 may also allow the recipient to receive more Age Pension. View 1 articles about Market-linked pension. |
Master trustsView 30 articles about Master trusts. |
Mature Age Workers Tax OffsetView 2 articles about Mature Age Workers Tax Offset. |
Maximum pension paymentsView 2 articles about Maximum pension payments. |
Maximum superannuation contributions baseA maximum superannuation contribution base is an indexed limit, up to which an employer can contribute 9 per cent of an employee’s salary. If a person’s income for Superannuation Guarantee purposes exceeds this base, the employer makes contributions on the basis of the maximum superannuation contribution base.View 5 articles about Maximum superannuation contributions base. |
Median returnsView 3 articles about Median returns. |
MedicareView 1 articles about Medicare. |
Medicare LevyThe Medicare Levy is a tax that the Federal Government imposes on Australian taxpayers to help fund the country’s public health system.View 6 articles about Medicare Levy. |
Member protection rulesMember protection rules are a requirement that super funds must follow and that means a super fund’s annual administration fee can’t be greater than the investment return credited to a member’s account, if the account balance is less than $1,000.View 4 articles about Member protection rules. |
Member statementsA member statement is an annual summary of a member’s benefits in the superannuation fund, including how much money is in the member’s super account and contributions made during the year.View 6 articles about Member statements. |
Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT)The MRRT is a new resource tax that is set to commence from 1 July 2012 and only apply to mined iron ore and coal. All other minerals are excluded. The rate of tax will be 30% applied to the taxable profit at the resource. Taxable profit is to be calculated by reference to the value of the commodity and an extraction allowance deduction. View 5 articles about Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT). |
Minimum payment factorsView 2 articles about Minimum payment factors. |
Minimum pension paymentsAccount-based pensions are subject to annual minimum pension payments based on a fund member's age and account balance. The minimum payment amount for a superannuation income stream (pension) is the account balance on 1 July (or account balance at start of income stream if a new income stream) multiplied by the percentage factor. The percentage factor is is based on the beneficiary’s (recipient of income stream/pension) age on 1 July in the financial year in which the payment is made (or, if a new pension, the age of the beneficiary on commencement of the pension/income stream).View 15 articles about Minimum pension payments. |
MoneySmartMoneySmart is the investor and consumer Web site of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and replaces FIDO. MoneySmart contains calculators that enable you to forecast the effect on your super of making extra contributions, receiving contributions under the Government’s Co-contribution Scheme, paying lower fees or even stopping contributions for awhile.View 13 articles about MoneySmart. |
MorningStarView 2 articles about MorningStar. |
Mortality ratesView 2 articles about Mortality rates. |
Mortgage assistanceView 2 articles about Mortgage assistance. |
Mortgage stressMortgage stress is sometimes also referred to as mortgage assistance or mortgage default.View 8 articles about Mortgage stress. |
MySuperAccording to the Federal Government, MySuper is “a new low cost and simple superannuation product that will replace existing default funds" by 1 January 2014. View 12 articles about MySuper. |
National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM)View 2 articles about National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM). |
National Information Centre on Retirement Investments (NICRI)NICRI stands for the National Information Centre on Retirement Investments, a free confidential service funded by the Federal Government that provides independent information on planning, saving for retirement and post-retirement investing. View 4 articles about National Information Centre on Retirement Investments (NICRI). |
National Institute of Accountants (NIA)View 2 articles about National Institute of Accountants (NIA). |
NDISView 3 articles about NDIS. |
NewsRead the News section if you want to find out the latest developments and recent changes in super. If you haven’t already subscribed, why not consider subscribing to our free, monthly SuperGuide email newsletter which includes the latest important news on super, easy-to-understand explanations on how different super rules works, Q&As and plenty of super tips. Below are some of our key News articles:
View 11 articles about News. |
Nominated beneficiaryA nominated beneficiary is a person (or persons) whom a fund member nominates to receive the super if the member dies. Anyone nominated must be a dependant or a person’s legal representative.View 3 articles about Nominated beneficiary. |
Non-arms length incomeView 2 articles about Non-arms length income. |
Non-commutable lifetime pensionsA non-commutable lifetime pension (or annuity or income stream) is a lifetime pension that can’t be converted to a lump sum amount.View 1 articles about Non-commutable lifetime pensions. |
Non-concessional contributionsNon-concessional is a special term associated with after-tax super contributions. Concessional is a term used to describe favourable tax treatment. For example, earnings in superannuation funds receive concessional tax treatment. The term 'concessional contributions' means that such contributions receive special tax treatment. Non-concessional contributions are after-tax contributions including spouse contributions and contributions made under the Super Co-contribution Scheme. Non-concessional contributions were previously known as undeducted contributions.View 70 articles about Non-concessional contributions. |
Non-concessional contributions capNon-concessional contributions cap refers to the level of non-concessional contributions that can be made each year before penalty tax is payable. View 14 articles about Non-concessional contributions cap. |
Non-dependantsNon-dependants are individuals who aren’t dependants and, ordinarily, can only receive a death benefit when first paid to the deceased member’s estate. View 13 articles about Non-dependants. |
Non-payment of SGView 4 articles about Non-payment of SG. |
Non-preserved benefitsA non-preserved benefit is a benefit that is either restricted or unrestricted.View 1 articles about Non-preserved benefits. |
Non-recourse borrowing arrangementView 2 articles about Non-recourse borrowing arrangement. |
Non-residentA non-resident is anyone entering Australia on an eligible temporary resident visa.View 2 articles about Non-resident. |
Not-for-profit fundsNot-for-profit funds are super funds such as industry funds, public sector funds and corporate funds.View 1 articles about Not-for-profit funds. |
Notional earningsView 2 articles about Notional earnings. |
Off-market transfersView 2 articles about Off-market transfers. |
Online service providerView 3 articles about Online service provider. |
OptionsView 2 articles about Options. |
Overseas propertyView 2 articles about Overseas property. |
OvertimeView 2 articles about Overtime. |
Palliative careView 3 articles about Palliative care. |
Part-time basisView 2 articles about Part-time basis. |
Penalty taxPenalty tax in terms of superannuation generally relates to 'excess contributions tax'. Excess contributions tax is a penalty tax applicable when an individual exceeds the concessional contributions cap or the non-concessional contributions cap. The penalty tax is imposed on the individual rather than the super fund, although the tax can be deducted from the individual’s super account. View 6 articles about Penalty tax. |
Pension Bonus SchemeThe Pension Bonus Scheme (PBS) (or Pension Bonus) is a tax-free payment representing 9.4 per cent of the Age Pension if a person defers claiming the Age Pension for at least 12 months. View 8 articles about Pension Bonus Scheme. |
Pension earnings taxView 1 articles about Pension earnings tax. |
Pension phasePension phase is the period during which a super fund pays an income stream or pension. The alternative to a pension phase is the accumulation phase. View 19 articles about Pension phase. |
Pension reliefPension relief relates to the relaxation of the minimum payment requirements for the 2012/2013, 2011/2012, 2010/2011, 2009/2010 and 2008/2009 financial years.For the 2012/2013 and 2011/2012 years, the minimum payment amounts for account-based pensions are 75% of the normal requirements. For example, an individual aged 65 is required to withdraw 3.75% of his account balance for the 2012/2013 year, rather than 5% under the regular minimum pension payment rules. For the 2010/2011, 2009/2010 and 2008/2009 financial years, the minimum payment amounts for account-based pensions were half of the normal requirements View 11 articles about Pension relief. |
Pension SupplementView 4 articles about Pension Supplement. |
Pension taxView 5 articles about Pension tax. |
Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost IndexView 4 articles about Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index. |
Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)The Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is a card that entitles Age Pensioners and other social security recipients to prescriptions at a lower cost, and discounts on public transport, rates and utility bills.View 1 articles about Pensioner Concession Card (PCC). |
Percentage factorsView 5 articles about Percentage factors. |
Permanent departure from AustraliaView 2 articles about Permanent departure from Australia. |
Permanent disabilityPermanent disability (or being permanent disabled) is a term that means that the disability or illness must meet the definition of permanent incapacity under the superannuation laws.View 4 articles about Permanent disability. |
Permanent residentView 3 articles about Permanent resident. |
Pharmaceutical Benefits SchemePharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS): A Federal Government plan that subsidises selected pharmaceuticals for all Australians, and also provides concessional prices on medication for those receiving social security payments, and for most senior Australians.View 3 articles about Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. |
PlatformsA platform (or wrap or wrap service) is an information collection service that bundles all of a person’s investments – direct shares, bank accounts, term deposits, managed funds. A wrap service records all transactions, prices, brokerage, any GST, dividends paid, tax payable and other similar items. View 2 articles about Platforms. |
Pooled superannuation trustView 1 articles about Pooled superannuation trust. |
PortabilityPortability refers to the right to request the transfer of accumulated super benefits to another super fund.View 3 articles about Portability. |
Pre-July 1983 componentApplied to pre-July 2007 benefits. This term represents that part of the super benefit generally representing employment before 1 July 1983.View 2 articles about Pre-July 1983 component. |
PreservationPreservation is a restriction that prevents a member from accessing superannuation benefits until retirement or until satisfying a condition of release. View 11 articles about Preservation. |
Preservation agePreservation age is at least 55 years of age and can be up to 60 years of age. Anyone born before 1 July 1960, has a preservation age of 55 years.Preservation is a restriction that prevents a member from accessing superannuation benefits until retirement or until satisfying a condition of release. View 25 articles about Preservation age. |
Preserved benefitsPreserved (or preserving) is a term that means a person’s retirement benefit is locked away until retirement, or until a condition of release is satisfied.Preserved benefits are a type of benefit that must remain in a super fund until the member reaches preservation age and, in most instances, retires from the workforce.View 11 articles about Preserved benefits. |
Private company dividendsView 1 articles about Private company dividends. |
Private equityView 3 articles about Private equity. |
Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)A Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) is a document that explains the features of a super fund, including an explanation of the investment options available (if any), who makes these investments on behalf of the fund, the risks associated with investing in each option, the importance of getting advice and the fund’s past investment performance. A person must receive a fund’s PDS before he joins the super fund, and anyone can ask for a fund’s PDS by contacting the super fund. View 1 articles about Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). |
PropertyProperty is a broad asset class encompassing office buildings, factories, shopping centres and other developments. Super funds can either invest in these investments directly or indirectly, via listed property trusts.View 28 articles about Property. |
Proportioning rulesProportioning rules are rules that apply to benefit payments – an income stream or lump sum must reflect the proportion of tax-free and taxable components that make up the super benefit.View 1 articles about Proportioning rules. |
PSSView 2 articles about PSS. |
Public offer fundsAnyone can join a public offer fund. Financial organisations, such as banks and insurance companies, usually market these types of funds to the public in the form of retail superannuation funds. Many industry funds are now public offer funds.View 3 articles about Public offer funds. |
Public sector fundsA public sector fund is a superannuation fund for public sector employees.Public sector employees work in local government, the Commonwealth and State public services, public healthcare, and in Australia’s public universities.View 18 articles about Public sector funds. |
Public servantsLong-term public servants are often subject to different rules when dealing with super, in particular, the interpretation of contribution caps, and the tax treatment of super benefits View 5 articles about Public servants. |
Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS)View 1 articles about Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS). |
Rating companiesView 33 articles about Rating companies. |
Re-contribution strategyView 2 articles about Re-contribution strategy. |
Reader commentsView 1 articles about Reader comments. |
Real estate investment trusts (REITs)View 13 articles about Real estate investment trusts (REITs). |
Real returnsA real return (or real rate of return) is an investment return after taking into account the effects of inflation.View 2 articles about Real returns. |
Rebate incomeView 2 articles about Rebate income. |
Regulated fundsOne of the first things a trustee must do when setting up a super fund is to ‘elect’ for the fund to be treated as a regulated fund, which means the fund is regulated by the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993.View 2 articles about Regulated funds. |
Related partyView 2 articles about Related party. |
Related party transactionsView 1 articles about Related party transactions. |
Remote area allowanceView 1 articles about Remote area allowance. |
Reportable employer super contributionsReportable employer super contributions are counted when assessing an individual for certain income tests: such as the income test for co-contributions; for claiming a tax deduction for super contributions; for claiming a spouse tax offset (rebate) on super contributions; and for mature age workers offset. Reportable employer super contributions are discretionary superannuation contributions made by employers. Typically, reportable employer super contributions are salary sacrifice contributions, but can include other discretionary employer contributions. Reportable employer super contributions don't include compulsory Superannuation Guarantee contributions or award superannuation payments. 'Reportable employer super contributions' are a subset of 'reportable super contributions'. View 5 articles about Reportable employer super contributions. |
Reportable super contributionsReportable super contributions are counted when assessing an individual for certain income tests: such as the income test for the Senior Australians Tax Offset, and the income test for claiming the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. Reportable super contributions are non-compulsory concessional (before-tax) contributions made by an employer or individual (whether employed or not). Reportable super contributions can include salary sacrifice contributions (made by employees in agreement with an employer), other non-compulsory employer super contributions, and personal tax-deductible super contributions (made by non-employed or substantially self-employed individuals and claimed as tax deduction in an individual's tax return). Non-concessional (after-tax) contributions are not reportable super contributions. 'Reportable employer super contributions' are a subset of 'reportable super contributions'. View 5 articles about Reportable super contributions. |
Residential propertyView 4 articles about Residential property. |
Resource Super Profits Tax (RSPT)View 3 articles about Resource Super Profits Tax (RSPT). |
Restricted non-preserved benefitsRestricted non-preserved benefit is restricted until a person leaves his job. A person’s super may include this type of benefit if he was a super fund member before 1 July 1999.View 2 articles about Restricted non-preserved benefits. |
Retail fundsA retail fund is a retail managed fund that’s subject to superannuation laws and entitled to concessional tax rates on investment earnings. These funds are run for profit by financial institutions such as banks, financial planning groups and fund managers.View 47 articles about Retail funds. |
RetirementRetirement is a big term that covers retirement planning, taking a pension, working in retirement, how much money is enough and more. The term 'retirement' also has a special meaning for when you can access your superannuation benefits.View 51 articles about Retirement. |
Retirement ageView 1 articles about Retirement age. |
Retirement declarationView 2 articles about Retirement declaration. |
Retirement Income Policy (RIP)A three-pronged Government strategy intended to save Australia from a funding crisis triggered by Australia’s ageing population.View 4 articles about Retirement Income Policy (RIP). |
Retirement income streamsAn income stream that produces regular income payments during a person’s retirement.View 1 articles about Retirement income streams. |
Retirement Savings Account (RSA)A Retirement Savings Account (RSA) is a superannuation account that’s similar to a savings account that banks and other financial organisations offer.View 3 articles about Retirement Savings Account (RSA). |
Reversionary beneficiariesView 2 articles about Reversionary beneficiaries. |
Reversionary income streamsA reversionary income stream (or reversionary pension or annuity) is an income stream payable to someone else, for example a spouse or children, if a member dies.View 2 articles about Reversionary income streams. |
Ripoll ReportView 4 articles about Ripoll Report. |
RiskView 2 articles about Risk. |
Rule of 72View 1 articles about Rule of 72. |
Running a SMSFChoosing to run your own super fund usually means that you’re confident you can deliver better returns than the professionals. As trustee of your SMSF you must draft an investment strategy, follow special investment rules, and choose investments that will deliver you a retirement benefit when you finish work. The decision to run your own super fund also depends on how willing you are to get on top of the superannuation laws, and the tax rules and reporting requirements. If you do have fund choice, and you’re considering a self-managed super fund then you need to start planning: your SMSF must be fully operational before you can change funds. Below are some of our key Running a SMSF articles:
View 42 articles about Running a SMSF. |
s290-170 noticeView 2 articles about s290-170 notice. |
Salary sacrificeSalary sacrifice (or salary sacrificing or salary sacrifice arrangement) refers to including before-tax superannuation contributions as part of a salary package, which then reduces a person’s taxable salary and the amount of income tax payable.View 50 articles about Salary sacrifice. |
Same-sex couplesTwo people of the same gender who are in a relationship. For the purposes of superannuation law, a live-in relationship between two women or two men.View 4 articles about Same-sex couples. |
Save your superView 2 articles about Save your super. |
Schedule 7View 2 articles about Schedule 7. |
Section 52View 1 articles about Section 52. |
Section 66View 1 articles about Section 66. |
SelectingSuperSelectingSuper is a rating company that reports on super fund investment returns, benchmarks super funds and pension funds, and ranks super funds based on investment performance, fees, insurance options and non-superannuation services.View 6 articles about SelectingSuper. |
Senior Australians and Pensioners Tax Offset (SAPTO)The Senior Australians and Pensioners Tax Offset (SAPTO) (formerly known as the Senior Australians Tax Offset (SATO)) is a tax offset that’s available for retirees who are of Age Pension age or older, or of Service Pension age.View 13 articles about Senior Australians and Pensioners Tax Offset (SAPTO). |
Seniors SupplementThe Seniors Supplement replaces the Seniors Concession Allowance and Telephone Allowance.View 2 articles about Seniors Supplement. |
Setting up a SMSFRunning a self-managed super fund (SMSF) gives you control over where your super money is invested, and access to a greater choice of investments compared to managed super funds, such as retail or industry funds. As a SMSF trustee, you can invest in direct property, artwork and virtually any valuable asset. You can even purchase business property, such as an office, and use the property in your business. Before you get too excited about the positives of running a SMSF, you need to ask yourself three key questions: Are you into commitment? Are you familiar with investing? Do you have lots of money, that is superannuation money? Below are some of our key articles on Setting up a SMSF:
View 27 articles about Setting up a SMSF. |
Severe financial hardshipSevere financial hardship is a condition of release for accessing your superannuation benefits early. The definition of 'severe financial hardship' is very specific, and you must satisfy all requirements to access your super benefits early because of hardship.View 22 articles about Severe financial hardship. |
SG deadlinesView 4 articles about SG deadlines. |
SG hotlineView 2 articles about SG hotline. |
SharesA share is a unit of ownership in a company that entitles a person to a share of the profits in the form of dividends and the benefit of any increase in the share price because of the strong performance of the company. View 15 articles about Shares. |
Sick leaveView 2 articles about Sick leave. |
SIS ActSIS Act stands for the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SIS Act), which is the superannuation legislation and the statutory bible for all superannuation funds. View 4 articles about SIS Act. |
SIS RegulationsView 4 articles about SIS Regulations. |
Small APRA fundsA small APRA fund is a DIY super fund that’s regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. View 4 articles about Small APRA funds. |
Small businessView 2 articles about Small business. |
SMSF administrationView 15 articles about SMSF administration. |
SMSF auditsIf you run a self-managed super fund, you must ensure that your SMSF is audited annually by an approved auditor. A SMSF audit involves an approved auditor conducting a financial and compliance audit of your super fund. A financial audit enables your auditor to examine your fund’s financial statements. A compliance audit involves assessing your SMSF’s compliance with the superannuation rules.View 11 articles about SMSF audits. |
SMSF booksView 3 articles about SMSF books. |
SMSF borrowingThe general rule is that your self-managed super fund can’t borrow money, although like all rules the ‘no borrowing’ rule has some exceptions. SMSF trustees need to understand the difference between direct borrowing and indirect borrowing and the special rules that apply to each exception. Your fund can’t directly borrow money, except in two instances: if you need cash to pay a member’s benefit, or if you need cash urgently to settle a share transaction. Your super fund can also indirectly borrow money. A SMSF can invest in managed funds that borrow money (geared managed funds), or even invest in instalment warrants, warrants, options or contracts for differences (CFDs). The latest ‘hot’ trend in the SMSF world is the opportunity for a SMSF to indirectly borrow to purchase fund assets using a limited recourse borrowing arrangement.View 7 articles about SMSF borrowing. |
SMSF complianceView 19 articles about SMSF compliance. |
SMSF costsView 7 articles about SMSF costs. |
SMSF investmentThe super laws demand that trustees formulate and implement an investment strategy, and consider any super fund investment in light of your fund's investment strategy. You must also ensure that your super fund doesn't break any special super investment rules. Year in year out the three most popular investment classes for SMSF trustees are: direct shares, cash (and term deposits) and direct property. Self-managed super funds also invest in listed and unlisted trusts, other managed investment schemes, debt securities, derivatives and instalment warrants, collectibles, overseas investments and other investments.View 32 articles about SMSF investment. |
SMSF pensionsView 21 articles about SMSF pensions. |
SMSF Q and AsIf you’re considering setting up a self-managed super fund (SMSF), or you already run your own SMSF, then this section provides easy-to-understand answers to the most popular questions we receive on SMSFs (also known as DIY super funds).View 44 articles about SMSF Q and As. |
SMSF reportingView 1 articles about SMSF reporting. |
SMSF service providersView 2 articles about SMSF service providers. |
SMSF strategiesView 11 articles about SMSF strategies. |
SMSF supervisory levyView 1 articles about SMSF supervisory levy. |
SMSF trusteeA SMSF trustee is responsible for ensuring the SMSF is maintained for the purpose of providing retirement benefits (meeting the sole purpose test). A SMSF trustee is responsible for: drafting the fund’s investment strategy and making investments; accepting contributions and paying benefits; appointing an approved auditor; and lodging annual returns with the ATO and keeping fund records. A SMSF can have no more than 4 trustees, and a SMSF trustee must also be a member of the SMSF.View 14 articles about SMSF trustee. |
SMSF trustee declarationView 5 articles about SMSF trustee declaration. |
Sole purpose testSole purpose test is a test that ensures a superannuation fund is maintained for the purpose of providing benefits to its members upon their retirement (or attainment of a certain age), or for beneficiaries if a member dies. If a super fund trustee, a super fund member or relative enjoys a direct or indirect benefit before retirement from a super fund's investment, that is, more than an incidental or insignificant benefit, then it is probably that the super fund has breached the sole purpose test. View 9 articles about Sole purpose test. |
SPAAThe SMSF Professionals' Association of Australia Limited (SPAA) is an industry association for SMSF specialist advisers. Members include accountants, auditors, financial planners, lawyers, risk providers, actuaries, administrators and educators. View 7 articles about SPAA. |
Special incomeView 1 articles about Special income. |
Splitting agreementView 1 articles about Splitting agreement. |
SpouseA spouse can be a married or de facto partner of the opposite sex, or former spouse. A spouse can also be a partner of the same sex. View 2 articles about Spouse. |
Spouse contributionsView 3 articles about Spouse contributions. |
StatisticsView 3 articles about Statistics. |
Stronger SuperView 2 articles about Stronger Super. |
Super CARTView 7 articles about Super CART. |
Super CharterView 1 articles about Super Charter. |
Super FreedomView 8 articles about Super Freedom. |
Super Fund Lookup (SFLU)View 3 articles about Super Fund Lookup (SFLU). |
Super Guide for employeesView 8 articles about Super Guide for employees. |
Super Guide for employersView 3 articles about Super Guide for employers. |
Super Guide for the self-employedSelf-employed individuals are not required to set aside money to pay superannuation contributions. Self-employed individuals can still take advantage of the superannuation laws by making tax-deductible super contributions and/or non-concessional (after-tax) super contributions. Such individuals can also take advantage of the co-contribution scheme, and/or can potentially take advange of the small business retirement exemption and other retirement-related incentives. For an individual to be able to make tax-deductible super contributions, they need to be: wholly self-employed as a sole trader or in a partnership; or not employed; or, earn part of their income as an employee but earn less than 10% of their total income from work as an employee. The employee 10% income test applies even when an employer has paid Superannuation Guarantee on this employee-based income. If a self-employed individual has structured his or her business as a company however, then they must pay Superannuation Guarantee to eligible employees (including himself or herself).View 6 articles about Super Guide for the self-employed. |
Super Guide for the UnemployedView 3 articles about Super Guide for the Unemployed. |
Super Guide for under 18sAn individual under the age of 18, who is a child of a fund member, is automatically treated as a dependant for super and tax purposes if the parent dies leaving superannuation benefits. What this means is that such an individual will receive such super benefits tax-free.View 9 articles about Super Guide for under 18s. |
Super Guide for your 20s 30s and 40sIf you are under the age of 50, you are subject to a lower contributions cap when making concessional (before-tax) contributions. In addition, anyone under the age of 50 cannot access super benefits except in limited special circumstances, such as, suffering severe financial hardship or permanent disability.View 99 articles about Super Guide for your 20s 30s and 40s. |
Super Guide for your 50sSuperannuation is designed to finance your retirement so the Government has special rules about when you can access your super benefits, and the tax that applies to super benefits. Generally speaking, you cannot access super benefits before the age of 55. If you fall into one of the exceptions that enable you to access super benefits under the age of 55, then you can expect to pay a higher rate tax on those super benefits than if you waited until your turned 55, or waited until you turned 60. If you are aged 50 or over, you are subject to a special contributions caps when making concessional (before-tax) contributions. Anyone in the 50-plus age group needs to be aware that as you get older, aged-based super rules come into effect. For example, you must satisfy a work test if you intend to make contributions after the age of 65, and you can't make any super contributions once you turn 75. Turning 55 can be significant in the super world because it is the minimum age for accessing super benefits (assuming you have retired and born before a certain date). If you are 55-plus, you can also access your super when you haven't retired if you choose to start a transition-to-retirement-pension (TRIP). Although super benefits are not generally tax-free between the ages of 55 and 60, you can still take advantage of a tax-free threshold when taking a superannuation lump sum, and a 15% tax offset when taking a superannuation income stream (pension).View 143 articles about Super Guide for your 50s. |
Super Guide for your 60sIf you are under the age of 65, you can make superannuation contributions whether you are working or not. If you're planning to make non-concessional (after-tax) contributions, special rules apply if you are aged 63 or 64. If you're in your 60s, milestone ages to consider include 60 (tax-free super), and turning 65 (work test for making contributions, unlimited access to super benefits, pension payment factors). When you turn 65, the rules for accessing super are relaxed. The rules for making super contributions however, become stricter. If you’re 65-plus, you must satisfy a work test if you want to make super contributions. When you turn 70, your employer no longer has to make Superannuation Guarantee contributions on your behalf (although this rule is set to change from July 2013). When you turn 75, you can no longer make super contributions. When taking a pension, different pension payment factors apply depending on your age. Note that the Age Pension age is currently 65 but gradually increasing to age 67.View 179 articles about Super Guide for your 60s. |
Super Guide for your 70sWhen you turn 70, your employer is not required to make compulsory Superannuation Guarantee contributions to your super account (although this rule is set to change from July 2013). If you’re 75 or over, you are no longer able to make super contributions. Any super benefits that you withdraw will be tax-free (unless you’re a member of certain older public service super schemes. If you’re receiving a private account-based pension, then you need to be aware of the special payment factors for individuals aged 75-plus.View 114 articles about Super Guide for your 70s. |
Superannuation AustraliaView 1 articles about Superannuation Australia. |
Superannuation benefitsView 6 articles about Superannuation benefits. |
Superannuation booksView 4 articles about Superannuation books. |
Superannuation calculatorsOnline superannuation calculators can be used to work out how much a person is likely to need in retirement, or how much life insurance he may need, or how much a fund charges in fees.View 8 articles about Superannuation calculators. |
Superannuation CircularView 2 articles about Superannuation Circular. |
Superannuation ComplaintsView 2 articles about Superannuation Complaints. |
Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT)The Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT) is an independent body established to investigate complaints about super funds that can’t be resolved by internal complaints processes.View 5 articles about Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT). |
Superannuation Consumer CentreView 3 articles about Superannuation Consumer Centre. |
Superannuation Consumer Centre Investment FundView 1 articles about Superannuation Consumer Centre Investment Fund. |
Superannuation For DummiesView 8 articles about Superannuation For Dummies. |
Superannuation fundsA superannuation fund is a legal structure, known as a trust run by a trustee or trustee board.View 3 articles about Superannuation funds. |
Superannuation Guarantee (SG)Superannuation Guarantee (SG) is the official term for compulsory superannuation contributions made by employers on behalf of their employees. An employer, regardless of whether they are a small or large business, must contribute the equivalent of 9 per cent of an employee’s salary (and 9.25% from July 2013).View 93 articles about Superannuation Guarantee (SG). |
Superannuation income streamsA superannuation income stream is a series of regular payments from a superannuation fund.View 2 articles about Superannuation income streams. |
Superannuation lump sum death benefitA lump sum payable from a member’s super account upon the member’s death.View 2 articles about Superannuation lump sum death benefit. |
Superannuation lump sumsA superannuation lump sum is generally an ad-hoc cash payment from a super fund. You can usually withdraw more than one lump sum, but regular withdrawals from a super fund are generally known as a retirement income stream.View 26 articles about Superannuation lump sums. |
Superannuation Q and AsTrish Power (author of Superannuation for Dummies and DIY Super for Dummies) answers readers' questions on super.View 176 articles about Superannuation Q and As. |
Superannuation rates and thresholdsYou can find out the latest super and retirement-related rates, thresholds and caps that are indexed in line with rising prices, or indexed in line with average weekly earnings. Indexation is a system of varying an amount (e.g. a benefit, wages, prices) in line with the movement of an appropriate index. Indexing to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), for example, means an amount rises in line with prices generally and, therefore, maintains its purchasing power (or real value). You can also find out the latest contributions caps, income tax rates and other relevant rates and thresholds.View 13 articles about Superannuation rates and thresholds. |
Superannuation splittingView 4 articles about Superannuation splitting. |
Superannuation strategiesView 36 articles about Superannuation strategies. |
Superannuation surchargeView 3 articles about Superannuation surcharge. |
Superannuation tax refundView 2 articles about Superannuation tax refund. |
Superannuation: Planning Your Retirement For DummiesSuperannuation: Planning Your Retirement For Dummies is a book by Trish Power which can help you plan for a secure retirement using superannuation. The book shows that getting super working for you is easier than you think and explains all the issues in plain English, providing super-boosting strategies and practical examples to help make the most of super and retirement. Learn more about Superannuation: Planning Your Retirement For Dummies.View 3 articles about Superannuation: Planning Your Retirement For Dummies. |
SuperGuide DirectoryView 4 articles about SuperGuide Directory. |
SuperRatingsSuperRatings is a rating company that reports on super fund investment returns, benchmarks super funds and pension funds, and ranks super funds based on investment performance, fees, insurance options and non-superannuation services. View 6 articles about SuperRatings. |
SuperSeekerSuperSeeker is the online search facility of the Australian Taxation Office that allows members to locate their lost super. View 5 articles about SuperSeeker. |
SuperstreamSuperStream is the name given to the package of proposals for improving the processing of everyday superannuation transactions. As part of SuperStream, the Government intends to improve the quality of data in the system, allow the use of tax file numbers (TFNs) as the primary account identifier (from 1 July 2011), encourage the use of technology to improve processing efficiency, and improve the way fund-to-fund rollovers are processed and the way contributions are made. View 10 articles about Superstream. |
SurveyView 1 articles about Survey. |
Taking a super pensionWhen you retire and/or reach a certain age, you can access your super benefits as a lump sum or as a superannuation pension. A superannuation pension is also known as an income stream. You can purchase a pension from your existing superannuation fund or a related financial organisation, or from another super fund or organisation, or start a pension within a self-managed super fund (SMSF). You may also be eligible to start a transition-to-retirement pension (TRIP) before you retire, provided you have reached your preservation age.View 56 articles about Taking a super pension. |
Tax adviceView 3 articles about Tax advice. |
Tax concessionsConcessional tax treatment is a tax assessment that’s subject to a concessional tax rate.View 3 articles about Tax concessions. |
Tax deductionsTax deductions are claims against assessable income. If you’re self-employed or not employed, you can claim a tax deduction for your super contributions. An individual under the age of 18 however can only claim a tax deduction for super contributions when his or her income comes from gainful employment, such as carrying on a business. View 4 articles about Tax deductions. |
Tax discountView 3 articles about Tax discount. |
Tax file number (TFN)A tax file number is a unique number issued by the Australian Taxation Office to identify individuals and organisations for tracking the payment of tax and to improve the efficiency of data collection. View 18 articles about Tax file number (TFN). |
Tax offsetAn offset that reduces the tax payable on taxable income.View 3 articles about Tax offset. |
Tax rebateView 1 articles about Tax rebate. |
Tax returnsTax returns are relevant for individuals and for SMSF trustees when making the most of superannuation opportunities. An individual must lodge a tax return to claim a tax deduction for concessional contributions (if self-employed or not employed), or if they wish to receive a co-contribution, or claim a tax offset on spouse contributions and for other superannuation purposes. A SMSF trustee must lodge an annual tax return on behalf of the SMSF, and large non-SMSF super funds must also lodge an annual return. View 4 articles about Tax returns. |
Tax savings amountView 1 articles about Tax savings amount. |
Tax-deductible contributionsTax deductible contributions are concessional contributions claimed as tax deductions by eligible individuals. Eligible individuals are mainly self-employed (or substantially self-employed) individuals but also include non-employed Australians.Individuals making tax-deductible contributions are subject to the same concessional contributions caps as employees. View 11 articles about Tax-deductible contributions. |
Tax-effective superannuationTax-effective is a term that means a person is able to take advantage of much lower rates of tax than he ordinarily pays on income. There are many ways that superannuation can be tax-effectiveView 8 articles about Tax-effective superannuation. |
Tax-exempt incomeView 1 articles about Tax-exempt income. |
Tax-freeView 2 articles about Tax-free. |
Tax-free componentsTax-free component refers to the portion of the benefit that’s tax-free. Ordinarily includes non-concessional contributions and certain pre-July 2007 benefits.View 27 articles about Tax-free components. |
Tax-free superTax-free means no tax is payable. In terms of superannuation, anyone aged 60 or over can expect tax-free super benefits (unless you're a public servant). Even when you're under the age of 60, you may be able to access tax-free benefits.View 44 articles about Tax-free super. |
Taxable componentsThe taxable component is the taxable portion of a superannuation benefit. An individual pays tax on this component if she receives a benefit under the age of 60 or receives an untaxed benefit.View 28 articles about Taxable components. |
Taxable incomeView 3 articles about Taxable income. |
Taxed benefitsThe benefit is paid from a source where tax has been paid on the concessional contributions and earnings of the fund.View 1 articles about Taxed benefits. |
Taxed elementA person’s taxable component is usually a ‘taxed’ element, unless the person belongs to a public sector fund. See untaxed benefit.View 2 articles about Taxed element. |
Taxed schemesView 1 articles about Taxed schemes. |
Taxed sourceTaxed source is a term used to describe the tax treatment of a super fund. A benefit from a taxed source is a super benefit paid from a fund that deducts ‘contributions’ tax from concessional (before tax) contributions and is liable for earnings tax on fund earnings. In other words, self-managed super funds plus 90% of large super funds (excluding certain public sector funds) are considered a taxed source. View 7 articles about Taxed source. |
TaxPayer AlertView 1 articles about TaxPayer Alert. |
Teaching your kids about superView 5 articles about Teaching your kids about super. |
Temporary residentTemporary residents for the purposes of superannuation benefits are treated differently under the super rules in terms of accessing super benefits early, although any individual seeking access to super benefits as a departing temporary resident needs to check how the rules specifically apply in their circumstances with the ATO. If an individual has held a temporary visa under the Migration Act 1958 (except for visas under subclasses 405 and 410), then such an individual is eligible to apply for a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) when leaving Australia. In most cases, a superannuation fund must transfer the individual’s super benefits to the ATO if the individual has not claimed the benefits within 6 months of departing Australia, or within 6 months of the expiry or cancellation of the visa, whichever event is later. View 6 articles about Temporary resident. |
Term allocated pension (TAP)Term-allocated pension (TAP) (or annuity) means the income stream is market-linked, which means no income guarantee is in place – income depends on how investments perform. A TAP commenced before 20 September 2007 may also allow the recipient to receive more Age Pension. View 1 articles about Term allocated pension (TAP). |
Term depositsA term deposit is an arrangement where a person deposits a certain amount of money with a bank or financial institution for a set period of time and an agreed rate of interest.View 2 articles about Term deposits. |
Terminal illnessTerminal illness for the purposes of accessing super benefits is defined as a 'terminal medical condition', and means: "a terminal medical condition exists if two registered medical practitioners have certified jointly or separately, that the member suffers from an illness, or has incurred an injury that is likely to result in the member’s death within 12 months of the date of certification. For each of these certificates, the certification period must not have ended. Further, at least one of the registered medical practitioners must be a specialist practicing in an area related to the illness or injury." Superannuation payments made on the basis of the fund member suffering a terminal medical condition are free of super tax, regardless of the age of the fund member. A super fund can release super benefits on the basis of a "terminal medical condition". An individual can also apply to APRA to access super benefits on compassionate grounds where the fund member, or a dependant of the fund member, is dying from a terminal medical condition. View 4 articles about Terminal illness. |
That's not fair! (Unfair super policies)If you’re a regular reader of SuperGuide, you may recall our September 2010 article ‘Mr Shorten, here’s your superannuation to-do list' outlining 16 of the major superannuation policies that Mr Shorten needed to focus on over the following 3 years.SuperGuide promised to keep a scorecard of what Mr Shorten achieves, and doesn’t achieve in the superannuation space.Over the next 12 months, we are publishing a series of articles under the theme of ‘That’s not fair!’ highlighting some of the super policies that seem to have been ignored by the Government. This series of articles will also include inequities in the superannuation rules brought to our attention by SuperGuide readers. Read on to discover what SuperGuide and your fellow readers consider unfair about super. View 9 articles about That's not fair! (Unfair super policies). |
Today’s dollarsToday’s dollars is a term to indicate that a benefit amount has been adjusted for inflation to represent what the future benefit can buy today.View 1 articles about Today’s dollars. |
Tony AbbottView 1 articles about Tony Abbott. |
Top 10 performing super fundsIs your super fund delivering long-term investment returns? Compare your super fund with the top 10 performing super funds. Your fund may even be appear in the top 10 list. Note that investment returns for one year may be very different from previous years, or future years.View 8 articles about Top 10 performing super funds. |
Top 10 Super ListsSuperGuide regularly publishes Top 10 lists on important superannuation topics. In this special section, you can find all of our Super Top 10 lists, including super checklists, super wish-lists, features on super contributions and investment performance, and special rules for over-65s and special rules for over-50s. You can also find Top 10 lists on running a pension, DIY super rules, annuities and lots more.Click here to see a list of all superannuation fundsView 35 articles about Top 10 Super Lists. |
Total and permanent disability (TPD) insuranceAn insurance product that pays the policyholder a lump sum or income stream if she becomes permanently disabled.View 8 articles about Total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance. |
Total incomeView 5 articles about Total income. |
Transition-to-retirement pensions (TRIPs)A Transition-To-Retirement Pension (or plan or income stream) (TRIP) is a non-commutable income stream that’s available before retirement.View 23 articles about Transition-to-retirement pensions (TRIPs). |
Transitional contributions capView 2 articles about Transitional contributions cap. |
Trio CapitalView 3 articles about Trio Capital. |
TruckiesView 1 articles about Truckies. |
Trust deed updatesView 2 articles about Trust deed updates. |
Trust deedsA trust deed is a legal document that sets out the rules for running a super fund, and what the trustee can and can’t do. View 8 articles about Trust deeds. |
Trustee declarationView 1 articles about Trustee declaration. |
TrusteesA trustee (or trustee board or trustee directors) is an individual or organisation that runs a super fund View 7 articles about Trustees. |
Turning 60View 2 articles about Turning 60. |
Types of super fundThere are five main types of super funds – industry funds, retail funds, corporate funds, public sector funds and small super funds. Small super funds are predominantly self-managed super funds (SMSFs) although a small percentage of small funds are known as small APRA funds. You may also be able to open up a Retirement Savings Account (RSA), which is a superannuation account that’s similar to a savings account that banks and other financial organisations offer.View 15 articles about Types of super fund. |
Unclaimed superannuation moniesView 4 articles about Unclaimed superannuation monies. |
Undeducted purchase priceView 1 articles about Undeducted purchase price. |
Unfunded super schemesRelates to unfunded public sector arrangements, which means the Government hasn’t coughed up the cash for super contributions.View 1 articles about Unfunded super schemes. |
UnhedgedView 4 articles about Unhedged. |
Unlisted infrastructureView 2 articles about Unlisted infrastructure. |
Unrestricted non-preserved benefitsView 5 articles about Unrestricted non-preserved benefits. |
UntaxedView 1 articles about Untaxed. |
Untaxed benefitsAn untaxed benefit (or untaxed element) is a benefit that hasn’t been subject to contributions tax or earnings tax. The benefit is subject to a higher rate of tax than a taxed benefit. View 7 articles about Untaxed benefits. |
Untaxed fundsAn untaxed fund is a super fund where the Government hasn’t yet paid in the cash for the additional employer contributions it has agreed to pay on behalf of employees.View 1 articles about Untaxed funds. |
Untaxed plan cap amountUntaxed plan cap amount means the recipient of the untaxed benefit can receive concessional tax treatment of superannuation lump sum benefits up to this limit. View 2 articles about Untaxed plan cap amount. |
Untaxed schemesView 1 articles about Untaxed schemes. |
Untaxed sourceUntaxed source is a term used to describe the tax treatment of certain super funds. A benefit from an untaxed source is a super benefit paid from a fund that doesn't pay ‘contributions’ tax from concessional (before tax) contributions, and is not liable for earnings tax on fund earnings. In other words, less than 10% of large super funds are considered an 'untaxed source' and these super funds are invariably older public sector super funds. Benefits paid from an untaxed source are sourced from consolidated revenue and are generally subject to higher tax rates than benefits paid from a 'taxed source'. View 7 articles about Untaxed source. |
Volume-based paymentsView 2 articles about Volume-based payments. |
Voluntary contributionsVoluntary contributions (or personal contributions): All contributions other than compulsory superannuation contributions. Individuals under the age of 75 can make voluntary contributions to a complying superannuation fund.View 5 articles about Voluntary contributions. |
Warren ChantView 25 articles about Warren Chant. |
Wayne SwanWayne Swan is the Federal Treasurer and the Deputy Prime Minister in the Australian ALP Federal Government. View 6 articles about Wayne Swan. |
WestpointView 2 articles about Westpoint. |
WineView 2 articles about Wine. |
Women and superWomen and superannuation is a special section that includes articles that women may find of special interest, or deal specifically with issues affecting women such as: how much super is enough, how long can you expect to live, divorce, retirement planning in six steps and many more topics.View 127 articles about Women and super. |
Work BonusView 3 articles about Work Bonus. |
Work testIf you're aged 65 or over, you must satisfy a work test before making contributions to super. The work test isn't onerous. A separate work test, applicable to Australians of all ages, is also required if you plan to take advantage of the co-contribution scheme. View 36 articles about Work test. |
Working in retirement'Working in retirement' covers the different scenarios that prospective Australian retirees may face when considering retirement. An increasing number of retirees are combining part-time work and taking a superannuation pension, and possibly also receiving a part Age pension. Retirement is a fluid concept that may or may not involve ceasing full-time work. If you're under the age of 65 and wanting to access super benefits, then 'retirement' generally involves ceasing full-time employment and making a retirement declaration, unless you intend to start a transition-to-retirement pension or you have unrestricted non-preserved super benefits. If you're under 65 and you decide to retire, then you can still return to work if your circumstances change, or you genuinely change your mind. If you're under the age of 65, then you can make super contributions whether you're fully retired, working part-time or working full-time. If you're aged 65 or over, then you don't have to retire to access your super benefits (in nearly all cases). If you're aged 65 or over, then you must satisfy a work test if you wish to contribute to a super fund.View 40 articles about Working in retirement. |
WrapsA wrap (or wrap account or wrap service or platform) is an information collection service that bundles all of a person’s investments – direct shares, bank accounts, term deposits, managed funds. A wrap service records all transactions, prices, brokerage, any GST, dividends paid, tax payable and other similar items. View 5 articles about Wraps. |
