Should I preserve the benefit in my current fund or switch to another fund?
Q: I am 55 and I have been made redundant and I’m wondering if I should preserve the benefit in my current fund until I’m 60 or ‘switch’ to another super fund? The super fund is the PSS. The fund seems [...]
SMSFs: Can I run two super funds? (2 questions)
Q: My wife is 58 and retired and she has her own self-managed super fund, where she has rolled over her super funds from various employers. She plans to start her SMSF pension soon.
Comparing super funds: Check out the cheapest funds
Rating agency, SelectingSuper has conducted some nifty research on the fees that super funds charge, and in generous fashion SelectingSuper regularly releases the highlights of this research for free access by the general public.
Super for beginners, part 11: Is my super fund good enough?
Q: I have my super with a major financial organisation. I’m wondering, are they a good company to be dealing with? I feel that their fees are a bit high: based on an investment amount of $300,000 the MER amount is $6,600 plus a monthly admin fee of $8.44. What are your thoughts on this matter?
Fund choice: Comparing super funds in 8 steps
A common and reasonable question is, what does a good super fund look like? Professional rating companies, such as SelectingSuper, SuperRatings and Chant West, evaluate and rate Australia’s largest super funds against various criteria.
Peace of mind, at a cost: 10 things to know about annuities
The GFC, and the financial carnage that followed, devastated the value of many Australian retirement portfolios. For some retirees and prospective retirees, the risk of another sharemarket crash has redirected attention to the possibility of a guaranteed income in retirement, taking the form of an annuity.
Comparing super funds: Who’s who in the super zoo
Unless you work in the superannuation industry, how the world of super works can be bamboozling (sometimes it can be confusing even when you know the industry well). This article, on the different types of super funds, is the first in a series of articles explaining the main players in the Australian super world.
SMSFs lead the super pack, again
Individuals running DIY super funds control 32% ($432.4 billion) of the $1.36 trillion invested via Australian superannuation funds. Ten years ago, DIY super funds represented one-tenth (10%) of all superannuation money.
Pensions: Is there an upper limit to how much we can withdraw?
Q: I am aware that the minimum amount of pension withdrawal is normally 4% (for under 65s) of the pension account balance (currently 3% for 2011/12).
Ten handy uses for the APRA200 performance list
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released its latest report on the performance of Australia’s largest 200 superannuation funds spanning the years 2004 through to 2010. The APRA report also provides the average returns for the largest 200 super funds over a 5-year period, and over a 7-year period to June 2010.
SMSF basics: To DIY or not to DIY?
Q: Six months ago, my wife and I started a self-managed super fund. We pay a flat fee to have it administered on our behalf. All the assets in the fund at this stage are my rollovers.
