October
- Opinion
- SMSFs
How SMSFs can find cash when tragedy strikes
What happens when the sudden death of one spouse threatens to force the sale of property in a self-managed fund?
September
- Opinion
- SMSFs
Why being disqualified as an SMSF trustee is a big deal
You lose control of your investments and direct ownership of real estate is off the table.
July
- Opinion
- Estate planning
What’s a close personal relationship? The ATO has its own idea
There are limited circumstances in which superannuation benefits can be passed on tax-free, and a lot depends on the relationship definition.
May
Why there is no such thing as a simple will
You’ve got to understand what you’re giving up when you sign a simple will – and how there are better ways to protect your loved ones.
March
- Opinion
- Trusts
Why estranged family members might still have a claim on trust money
A decision in the Victorian courts found that trustee must engage in bona fide inquiries about potential beneficiaries.
March
- Opinion
- SMSFs
How to prevent your super going to the wrong people
“Absolute discretion” can mean anything but when it comes to distributing superannuation death benefits.
February
- Opinion
- Inheritance
Why just a will won’t cut it for your inheritance strategy
This is why Tony – who has a family trust, a company and property in a unit trust – needs an extra 25 documents to sort control of family assets after he dies.
November 2023
- Opinion
- Inheritance
Why courts are being asked to find elderly grooms unfit to marry
Relatives successfully claimed $2.5 million in superannuation should be paid to a deceased man’s estate, not his widow because he was suffering dementia when they married.
October 2023
Ex-girlfriend may get super despite ‘drifting off’ when dad got ill
The trustee of a leading public offer fund is refusing to pay the children of a man who thought he’d got his affairs in order before he died.
- Opinion
- Inheritance
The procrastination that sliced $75,000 off an inheritance
A delay in passing on a reversionary pension to a woman after the death of her husband had big tax implications for her two adult children when she died.
September 2023
One family trust and three kids – what can go wrong?
What happens when one son doesn’t need the capital, another wants to develop a property with a huge loan and the daughter needs money ASAP for a new home.
August 2023
- Opinion
- Inheritance
Is a super withdrawal just before death tax-free? This is the ATO view
A recent ruling may have implications for SMSFs for an inheritance strategy recommended by many advisers.
July 2023
- Opinion
- Superannuation
How to stop your new partner pinching your kids’ inheritance
This is also helpful if your children’s parent is the remaining spouse because it quarantines the estate from potential new relationships.
June 2023
- Opinion
- Inheritance
When families don’t like the will, there’s a way to change it
If dad cuts mum out of the family home (to protect her from the ageing Lothario down the street), she and the kids can get together to rearrange things.
May 2023
- Opinion
- Inheritance
How to stop a stranger robbing the kids of their inheritance
A few tweaks to your will is all that’s needed to ensure your offspring don’t lose out after one of you dies and the other takes a new partner.
April 2023
- Opinion
- Inheritance
Seven reasons to gift your estate to a family trust (and three not to)
Testamentary trusts are the favoured vehicle for estate planning but it’s worth exploring an alternative if you already have a family trust.
March 2023
- Opinion
- SMSFs
Why losing a trust deed is more serious than you think
A recent Victorian Supreme Court decision offers clear guidelines about what has to happen next.
February 2023
How to avoid a Rinehart-style family trust dispute
It is critical that members of a family trust know what is to happen to trust assets if any of the key people die.
December 2022
- Opinion
- SMSFs
The tricky question of who funds renovations for your rental property
If it’s owned by your self-managed super fund, borrowings can’t finance this. But there are other options.
- Opinion
- Inheritance
Last-minute super strategies to leave your heirs more
Setting up a cashing-out request can mean a tax-free inheritance, but the timing is crucial.