Articles by

Barbara Drury

Barbara is a financial journalist and author with over 30 years’ experience in Australia and the UK. She is a contributor to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Money section, and has worked for the Australian Financial Review and The Australian. Barbara is the author of Alan Kohler’s Eureka Report Guide to Personal Investing, Sorting Out Your Finances for Dummies and Personal Finance for Dummies and co-author of Investing for Dummies with James Kirby.

How to prepare for an SMSF auditor and fill in your SMSF tax return

1 August 2022

Even if you outsource most of the boring SMSF admin, there are two annual tasks trustees can’t avoid.
The Sharpe Ratio: Risk-adjusted returns and your super

21 March 2022

We all want to earn top notch returns from our super fund, but at what level of risk? This is how you find the sweet spot.
How to benchmark your super fund

1 March 2022

If you’re unhappy with your super fund’s performance, it’s getting easier to check how it stacks up against the best of the rest. We explain how.
Dixon Advisory’s fall from grace: 4 lessons for all investors

16 February 2022

When Dixon Advisory collapsed, it left a trail of aggrieved SMSFs and investment losses. It’s a saga we can all learn from.
Super funds with the lowest fees

2 January 2022

Discover the cheapest super funds overall, funds with the lowest fees for each investment category, as well the most expensive super funds.
SMSFs structures: Corporate or individual trustee?

29 November 2021

Corporate trustees are becoming increasingly popular with SMSFs, but an individual trustee structure also has its merits.
Your Future, Your Super: What it means for you

16 July 2021

After much haggling, the Government’s latest package of super reforms aimed at tackling high fees and low performance has passed through parliament.
How the best super funds deliver on member services

6 May 2021

Member services have the potential to rev up your super returns, so check what’s on offer.
The SMSF trustee declaration explained

1 June 2020

An SMSF trustee declaration is an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) document that summarises the duties and obligations of an SMSF trustee or director.
Alternative investments for SMSFs

22 January 2019

SMSF trustees are often accused of being unadventurous in their asset allocation, but some are bucking the trend with ‘exotic’ investments in everything from horse semen to vending machines and dividend-paying cows.