February 2020 newsletter

Super funds stay safe in short-term volatility, NAB hit with new class action, no increase in $1.6m transfer balance cap, older Australians resist home modifications and more Australian seniors would downsize if they could.

People working casually, part-time or in ‘hazardous’ jobs may be paying for junk total and permanent disability insurance.

Among the topics being investigated by the government’s retirement incomes review is whether compulsory super contributions should be lifted from 9.5% to 12%.

When couples divorce, super is often overlooked in favour of more readily accessible assets. While that’s understandable, ignoring super can result in serious financial disadvantage in the long term. Get the lowdown on what happens to super in the event of a relationship breakdown.

Making a tax-deductible super contribution can be a great way to boost your retirement savings. Find out whether they could be the right strategy for you.

On the surface, industry funds have a lot in common. Not only have they outperformed retail funds, but they have also pioneered largescale investment in unlisted assets. Is that the secret to their success or is there more going on?

While climate change is front of mind for many Australians during a summer of catastrophic bushfires, it is just one of many environmental, social and governance issues driving a growing investor demand for sustainable investments.

In this video interview Mano Mohankumar, Senior investment research manager at Chant West, shares some insights on how super funds performed in 2019, the outlook for 2020, and what to consider when choosing a super investment option.

Super funds rose for the third straight month in June, making a 6.5% comeback from the COVID cliff the previous quarter. By the end of the financial year, most funds ended up near where they started with some funds managing a modest positive return. All in all, that’s a good outcome from one of the most turbulent financial years in the past century.

Trustees who conduct services for their fund for free could find the income of their SMSFs is taxed at a much higher rate under proposed changes to the interpretation of NALE.

Want to avoid an SMSF penalty? Make sure you use our annual admin checklist.

A health check of your SMSF’s investment strategy could help improve your fund’s performance.

The minutes from trustee minutes are very important documents for your SMSF. Your auditor will examine them carefully every year and if your fund is ever randomly examined by the ATO, you will be in a much better position if you have comprehensive minutes around all major decisions made for the fund.

The following checklist will help you get on top of everything that needs to be when starting an SMSF pension.

Having a total super balance of $1.6 million can create real problems. If you want to add more to your super account, here’s four strategies to consider.

We asked financial advisers to share their top tips. From downsizing your home to changing the way you think about retirement, here’s what they want us to know.

While we are strong believers that super is, well, super, we appreciate there is also a place for retirement savings held outside super. In this article, we explain when and why.

Bina Brown explains how aged care home care packages work and how they are assessed.

Bina Brown explains how residential aged care works, what are the typical wait times and costs, and what you should consider when choosing a residential aged care facility.

In this video interview Ian Fryer, Head of Research at Chant West, shares some insights into choosing a pension fund, including how choosing a pension fund is different to choosing a super fund, what the process is to starting a pension, and what investment option to consider in retirement.