Everyone is different and when it comes to investing, some people find themselves tossing and turning in bed, while others sleep easy. As an investor or super fund member, the key to getting a good night’s rest is to pick the investments (or investment options in your super fund) that match your personal risk ... Read more
Superannuation strategies
Superannuation strategies can be any super-related action that can help an individual grow his or her benefit. Such action can include strategies that protect existing super benefits, minimise costs, help boost your super savings by making extra super contributions, or by actively selecting your super account’s selection options.
If you run an SMSF, then you may be considering SMSF-specific strategies in relation to administering your SMSF, or investing your super monies, or running an SMSF pension.
All Australians contemplating retirement, at some stage will be considering retirement strategies such as deciding on the right age to retire, working out how much money will be needed for a life in retirement, whether they will be eligible for the Age Pension, and deciding who gets their super savings after they leave this earth.
For more information on important superannuation strategies, refer to the links below:
- Housekeeping strategies (such as reporting your tax file number, choosing a super fund, checking fees, nominating beneficiaries)
- Contributions strategies (such as salary sacrificing, spouse contributions, non-concessional contributions, co-contributions, capital gains tax management)
- Investment strategies (such as choosing an investment option, asset allocation, shares that pay franked dividends
- Age-based strategies (such as making super contributions, accessing super, timing retirement)
- Retirement strategies (such as how much super is enough, lump sums, super pensions, Age Pension, work test)
- SuperGuide checklists
The following SuperGuide articles provide examples of superannuation strategies:
Set out below are all SuperGuide articles referring to Superannuation strategies.
SMSF advice: Is your accountant still allowed to help your fund?
Being the trustee of a self-managed super fund can be a challenging task at times, and most people need a bit of help at certain stages when running an SMSF, particularly when a decision, or strategy, requires financial advice. Traditionally, many Australians have turned to their accountant for assistance, but under ... Read more
Latest superannuation rules: 2018/2019 guide
Substantial changes to the superannuation rules took effect from 1 July 2017, and further super changes took effect from 1 July 2018. Have you investigated how the super changes will affect your superannuation and retirement plans for the 2018/2019 year, and for future financial years? At the same time, many of ... Read more
No rest for SMSF trustees: 10 jobs for life from July 2018
Although the past few years have kept SMSF trustees busy with numerous legislative changes and a major shake-up of the super system since 1 July 2017, the upcoming financial year does not look like it will bring much of a respite. In fact, from 1 July 2018 most SMSFs trustees are going to face a range of new ... Read more
The short story on super contributions limits (2018/2019 year)
You can make two types of superannuation contributions – concessional (before-tax) contributions and non-concessional (after-tax) contributions – and each type of contribution has a separate limit known as a contributions cap (see text and tables below). Short story on concessional contributions Short story on ... Read more
Seeking financial advice? A 5-step guide to obtaining expert help
After the major shake-up of the super system in July 2017, Australians saving for their retirement, or now in retirement, face a revised set of rules when it comes to their super contributions and super pensions. Unfortunately, the new rules have not made things easier to understand and many of us still need financial ... Read more
Super concessional (before-tax) contributions: 2018/2019 survival guide
Note: This article explains the rules applicable to concessional contributions for the 2018/2019 year (and for the 2017/2018 year, and later in the article, also explains the rules applicable for the 2016/2017 year, and earlier financial years). Superannuation contributions can be divided into two types — ... Read more
Your 2018/2019 guide to non-concessional (after-tax) contributions
Note: This article explains the rules applicable to non-concessional contributions for the 2018/2019 year (and for the 2017/2018 year, and later in the article explains the rules applicable for the 2016/2017 year and earlier years). See also SuperGuide articles New normal: $100,000 non-concessional contributions cap ... Read more
Cashing in on the co-contribution rules (2018/2019 year)
Note: This article explains the co-contribution rules for the 2018/2019 year (for the 2017/2018 year, and later in the article, also for the 2016/2017, 2015/2016, 2014/2015, 2013/2014, 2012/2013 and 2011/2012 years). The federal government is giving away money to anyone who makes a non-concessional (after-tax) ... Read more
Gender gap on super boards: Large funds running out of ideas
Note: Each year, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority releases data on the largest 200 (or so) super funds in Australia. The latest report was released on 28 March 2018. This article lists the largest 20 super funds in Australia and analyses the gender composition of the boards of these large super funds. You ... Read more
Super contributions caps for the 2018/2019 year (and 2017/2018 year)
The superannuation contributions caps for concessional (before tax) and non-concessional (after tax) contributions for the 2018/2019 year, are the same as those that apply for the 2017/2018 year. (Note that the higher contributions caps applicable for the 2016/2017 year, are also set out later in the ... Read more
SMSFs: Transfer Balance Account Report requirements
Guest contributor: Meg Heffron, the author of this article, is co-founder and a Director of Heffron SMSF Solutions – a firm that specialises in SMSFs. She is a qualified actuary with more than 25 years of superannuation experience. It would be hard for anyone interested in SMSFs to have missed the fact that a ... Read more
