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Home / SuperGuide newsletters / January 2019 newsletter

January 2019 newsletter

Investment special, Top performing funds, Productivity Commission report, Franking credits, Life expectancy

Welcome to the JANUARY 2019 edition of the SuperGuide Premium newsletter. Highlights include:

  • TOP PERFORMING FUNDS FOR 2018: The last quarter was a rollercoaster for many investors, but the median balanced super funds managed to eke out a positive result – the 7th year in a row. Find out which funds did even better.
  • PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION: The PC has handed down it’s final report card on super. Janine summarises the main considerations for Australian consumers, and separately assesses the “Best in show” proposal which is making all the headlines.
  • FRANKING CREDITS: The ALP’s ban on franking credits could become a reality if they win the next election, and would have significant consequences for many SMSFs. Ali Cain explores how this can affect an SMSF’s investment strategy, and what options SMSF trustees might consider.
  • SMSF INVESTMENT: Discover what SMSFs are investing in – including the most popular Australian shares, International shares and alternative investments.
  • LIFE EXPECTANCY: One of the trickiest areas of retirement planning is knowing how long you’ll be around for. Luke Vanem looks at the key factors and statistics, while David Orford urges us to treat the statistics with a pinch of salt.

SMSF INVESTMENT

Labor’s franking credits policy: Options for SMSF trustees

SMSF members could be forced to take on more risk, should the ALP be successful with its plan to scrap cash refunds from franking credits.

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SMSF investment: 20 most popular Australian shares

This article lists the 20 most popular Australian domestic listed securities invested in by SMSFs as of 30 June 2020.

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SMSF investors still subdued about outlook for ASX in 2019

SMSF investors estimate a +1.4% capital growth expectation for the All Ordinaries Index for the next 12 months, according to the latest Investment Trends’ Investors Intention Index report.

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SMSF investment: 20 most popular international shares

This article lists the 20 most popular international shares invested in by SMSFs as of 30 June 2020.

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SMSFs: Top 10 alternative investments

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.

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IS YOUR SUPER FUND PERFORMING?

Best performing super funds: Conservative category (21–40%)

In this article you can discover the top 10 performing Conservative super funds over 1 year and 10 years to 31 December 2020. Conservative funds have 21-40% invested in growth assets.

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Best performing super funds: High Growth category (81–95%)

In this article you can discover the top 10 performing High Growth funds over 1 year and 10 years to 31 December 2020. High Growth funds have 81-95% invested in growth assets.

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What are lifecycle super funds, and how do they perform?

The surprisingly strong share market rally from April through to August resulted in strong positive returns for all Lifecycle cohorts during that period.

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PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

Super’s next shake up? Productivity Commission gets tough

Australia’s current super system is “harming millions of members” through underperforming funds, multiple accounts and excessive fees.

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Looking good? New ‘best in show’ proposal for super funds

A key recommendation in the new Productivity Commission report, the idea of employees being given a ‘best in show’ list for the top 10 performing super funds has been met with a hostile response from the super industry.

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What are average super fund fees?

An easy way to determine if you believe your super fund is good value, is to assess the cost of your super fund against the average costs for the different types of super funds available.

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Super fund fees: Do lower fees mean better net returns?

Fees are important, but they are not the only thing driving superannuation’s investment returns.

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How to compare super funds in 7 easy steps

Superannuation is a long-term investment but that doesn’t mean you can afford to put off thinking about it indefinitely.

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HAVE YOU PLANNED FOR A LONG LIFE?

Take the Australian Life Tables with a pinch of salt

With decades of expert actuarial experience, David Orford reviews the current risks with using the Australian Life Tables at face value.

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How long you can expect to live, and what it means for your super

Life expectancy is a complex topic, so we’ve put together a straightforward guide to help explain the key concepts – enabling you to plan your retirement with a bit more confidence.

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SMSFs

SMSFs: Corporate or individual trustee?

One of the first decisions you must make when setting up an SMSF is whether to choose a corporate or an individual trustee structure. We take a look at the pros and cons and the key differences between the two structures.

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SMSF guide to hedging

SMSFs are increasing their allocation to international shares, with the Australian Taxation Office’s figures showing funds’ allocation to this asset class jumped to $6.18 billion last year, up from $1.8 billion in 2013.

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UPDATED CONTRIBUTIONS GUIDES

Beginner’s guide to making super contributions

Building a sizeable retirement nest egg can take some effort, but a recent study by Roy Morgan found only 18% of employees with super currently have more than the compulsory 9.5% of their salary or wages going into their super fund account.

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Concessional super contributions guide (2020/21)

Concessional contributions are the most common type of super contribution, but many people don’t understand what they are or what is their annual limit, so here’s our simple guide.

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Non-concessional super contributions guide (2020/21)

While your employer is making regular Super Guarantee contributions into your super account, you can boost your account balance by using after-tax money to make non-concessional contributions.

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A super guide to understanding the bring-forward rule

The bring-forward rule represents an important opportunity to put more money into your super account in a particular year if you receive an inheritance or are getting close to retirement. Here’s a simple guide to how it works.

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How super works
Super for beginners
Super rules
Employers guide to super
Super contributions
Super and tax
Accessing super
Super news
Women and super
Super tips and strategies
How-to guides
Super quizzes
Superannuation Q&As
Superannuation glossary
Super funds
Best performing super funds
Super fund rankings
Best performing pension funds
Pension fund rankings
Super fund average returns
Super investing strategies
Comparing super funds
Choosing a super fund
Choosing an investment option
Super fund fees
Insurance and super
Super fund profiles
SMSFs
SMSFs for beginners
SMSF administration
SMSF checklists
SMSF compliance
SMSF investing
SMSF pensions
SMSF strategies
SMSF Q&As
Plan your retirement
Retirement planning for beginners
When should I retire?
How long will I live?
How much super do I need?
Will I get the Age Pension?
How much will I spend in retirement?
Financial advice
Retiring overseas
Preparing for retirement
Retirement planning strategies
Retirement calculators and reckoners
In retirement
Income in retirement
Super lump sums
Super pensions
Age Pension
Working in retirement
Life in retirement
Senior concessions and services
Aged care
Estate planning
Super death benefits
Compare super funds

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If SuperGuide refers to a financial product you should obtain the relevant product disclosure statement (PDS) or seek personal financial advice before making any investment decisions.

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