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Superannuation & SMSFs

February

In 2023 alone, Australians paid more than $32 billion in fees to super funds,

Superannuation fees cost us $100,000 - and many don’t even know it

New research commissioned by Vanguard Australia has revealed that 61 per cent of Australians do not realise their super fund is charging them multiple fees.

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Financial advisers say it pays to plan early for a comfortable and trouble-free retirement.

A guide to living your best retirement life

With 4.2 million retirees in Australia, what are some of the key strategies to maximising your super?

Mary Delahunty, CEO of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia

How to decide the best super strategy for you

Superannuation can be structured – and restructured – to suit individual account-holders.

What should you invest your super in right now?

After big gains in the equity market last year, the chances are your assets need to be rebalanced.

Amid an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape and trade tensions, the trade and investment opportunities between allies like Australia and the United States are never more important.

Big super bolsters US ties amid Trump trade tensions

The pool of workers’ retirement savings benefits not only to the domestic economy, but the relationship with our most important trading partner.

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If there are multiple transactions it would make sense to use a software package.

What if my accountant still uses spreadsheets to calculate tax?

There are many good software packages that can keep track of all the different tax aspects that may arise in an SMSF.

What does sustainability mean to you as you head into your retirement years?

Sustainability has a very different meaning when retirement is around the corner

It’s a buzzword that won’t stop buzzing, but sustainability is also a key component of one of the biggest goals in life — retirement.

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by Industry SuperFunds

Home bias “generally leads to suboptimal levels of investment diversification”. 

Does your SMSF have these serious weaknesses?

The surge in value of Wall Street’s mega cap tech stocks has been fantastic for many superannuation investors, but not for SMSFs.

A reversionary pension will ensure your super payments flow to your spouse.

The low-fuss way to transfer super to a spouse

Converting to a corporate trustee shouldn’t disrupt death benefit nominations so long as the paperwork has been done correctly.

A special rule allowed market linked pensions to be much bigger.

Use this strategy to maximise tax benefits of large ‘legacy’ pensions

People with very large older-style pensions should do the sums on whether to act on an amnesty provided by the government.

An investigation found Bunnings had breached the privacy of hundreds of thousands of Australians.

‘Follow the Bunnings’: Top tips for SMSF property investors

Industrial and retail properties are paying rental yields of anywhere between 5 per cent and 8 per cent.

Timing is important because significantly different tax rules apply.

How quickly will my super fund pay me a lump sum?

There are no rules requiring super funds to make payments within a set timeframe.

January

The increase means you may be able to get more money into the tax-free environment from July 1.

Tax-free super cap for retirement phase set to reach $2 million

To benefit from the indexation increase, you need to delay starting the pension until July 1.

ASIC commissioner Simone Constant wants super funds to double down on customer service – or risk court action.

‘Weak’ scam protections put trillions of super money at risk

Superannuation funds have been warned they are at risk of becoming “soft targets” for scammers.

Running an SMSF can feel overwhelming.

What’s the right time to wind up an SMSF?

Sometimes the complexity of running a self-managed super fund outweighs the benefits.

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If you’ve been receiving the government aged pension, hold off on major changes until this key legislative change.

Retirees warned not to switch off legacy pensions just yet

Wait for the government to enact a formal debt waiver so you don’t get asked to hand back age pension payments.

Pensioners have a five-year window of opportunity to restructure their retirement savings.

More than 17,000 legacy pensioners set free but issues remain

The federal government is finally allowing SMSF members to exit old-style pensions.

Technological developments are boosting the ability of investors to get easier access to information about their nest eggs.

How to put a rocket under your super balance in 2025

The stage three tax cuts may give you a little extra to contribute to super this year. These are your options.

December 2024

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What happens to our SMSF if we die together?

Self-managed super funds aren’t covered by wills, so special arrangements need to be in place for when the final member dies, or if the members die together.

Australians’ retirement savings are on track for a stellar 2024.

Super savings on track for 11pc return in 2024

A US sharemarket rally fuelled by Donald Trump’s clean election sweep is fuelling a strong end to 2024 for superannuation funds.

The arrangement might work well for everyone when the “children” are in their 20s but what about when their life situation changes?

3 things to consider before bringing children into your SMSF

Thinking about a multi-generational self-managed superannuation fund? They can be great, but it’s not a decision to make lightly.

Can I build my super balance to $1.9 million by contributing the proceeds of the sale of my business?

I’m selling my business for $5m. How much can I put into super?

Special tax relief is available for small business owners who sell and contribute some of the proceeds to super.

The super sector suffers from being unnecessarily complex

Three ways to improve the SMSF sector in 2025

There is no doubt self-managed superannuation funds are unnecessarily complex, so top of next year’s wish list is the long-running call for greater simplicity.

A bonus on top of your super when you retire is a feature many funds are using to attract new members.

What is a pension ‘bonus’ and should I switch super funds to get one?

You might receive an additional $2500 on a balance of $500,000 or $9500 on a balance of $1.9 million, but funds typically impose clawback conditions so be careful.

It’s never too early to get financial advice. You can see a financial adviser, talk to your accountant if you have one, or get advice from your super fund.

Super for young professionals

They say youth is wasted on the young. And you could say the same thing about super.

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by Colonial First State

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/wealth/superannuation