We receive a steady stream of emails seeking information about investing in property via an SMSF. In response to this continued interest, we have revisited the popular question, is property a good investment for your SMSF?The question (is property a suitable investment for an SMSF?) is an important one, and the ... 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 boost your super, processes on choosing investments or investment options, steps to compare super funds, age-based superannuation guides, ways to minimise income tax via super contributions and other super and tax strategies.
The following SuperGuide articles provide examples of superannuation strategies:
Set out below are all SuperGuide articles referring to Superannuation strategies.
Retirementgate: Government’s Age Pension debacle hits middle Australia
In the past few months, SuperGuide, with the assistance of advocacy group Save Our Super, has reported on the ridiculous state of affairs now facing existing and future retirees. The January 2017 Age Pension changes, namely the harsh regressive effect of the Age Pension assets test, have made it financially more ... Read more
Guest contributor: Retirees lose savings due to 2017 Age Pension changes
Note: During the past few months, with the assistance of advocacy group Save Our Super (and using financial modelling provided by Sean Corbett), SuperGuide has highlighted the inequities and disincentives created by the January 2017 changes to the Age Pension assets test. SuperGuide has named this policy debacle, ... Read more
Super opportunity: Catch-up concessional contributions from July 2018
Any Australian considering making super contributions since July 2017 needs to be mindful that the annual concessional (before-tax) contributions cap is much lower than previous financial years. Since 1 July 2017, the annual concessional contributions cap has dropped to $25,000, which is a lot lower than the current ... Read more
Superannuation after-life: Beware the dastardly death tax, and the cap
Although superannuation death benefits are tax-free when paid to individuals considered ‘dependants under the tax laws’, a ‘death tax’ continues to apply when super monies are paid to individuals considered ‘non-dependants under the tax laws.Any of your children aged 18 or over, who can’t prove they were dependent ... Read more
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 a SMSF, particularly when a decision, or strategy, requires financial advice. Traditionally, many Australians have turned to their accountant for assistance, but ... Read more
Financial advice guide: What to expect when you talk to an adviser
Even when you decide you need help from a financial adviser, the process of actually receiving professional assistance with your finances may seem like a mysterious journey.Despite what you may think, financial advice is a two-way conversation. You need to do a bit of homework beforehand and give the financial ... Read more
Seeking financial advice? A 5-step guide to obtaining expert help
Now that the July 2017 changes are in place, Australians must make super decisions with a new set of rules, especially in relation to super contributions and super pensions. Unfortunately, more complexity usually accompanies any superannuation reforms, driving many Australians to seek out financial advice.Note: For ... Read more
Capital gains: Reducing tax via super contributions
Q: I have a self-managed super fund (SMSF) and I also have two investment properties in my personal name. When I sell the properties, I will be required to pay capital gains tax. Can this capital gains tax be offset by a contribution to the SMSF which would be tax-deductible? Would there be a 15% contributions tax? I ... Read more
Want investments that help you sleep? Understand your risk profile
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
Retirementgate revisited: Australian couples and singles punished for saving
Note: This article discloses the retirement savings ‘sweet spot’ (optimal super balance for securing maximum income when combining super and Age Pension payments) for 4 categories of Australians – homeowning couple, homeowning single person, non-homeowner couple, non-homeowner single person. See summary table, charts ... Read more
Superannuation checklist: What rules apply for the 2017/2018 year?
Although the Coalition government has made significant amendments to Australia’s superannuation rules, many of the super policies did not change from July 2017 (see list later in article).For your convenience, we have split the 2017/2018 year superannuation checklist into 2 categories of super rules. The first ... Read more
