Identifying undervalued assets

Recent research has found that an alarming 31 per cent of SMSF trustees consider choosing investments as one of the hardest aspects of running an SMSF. Value investing is one such strategy that SMSF investors can utilise to boost their portfolios. Value investing involves identifying undervalued assets that have the potential to increase in value…

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Increased access to Superannuation Clearing House

The ATO has changed the conditions of registration for businesses to access the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House. The Small Business Superannuation Clearing House is a free online service available for small businesses to make super contributions for their employees. The Tax Office is now allowing businesses with 19 or less employees or businesses with…

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Understanding SMSF trustee responsibilities

Self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees have onerous duties and responsibilities in relation to the management of their fund. An SMSF trustee primarily needs to ensure the fund is properly managed for the benefit of members for their retirement. All trustees must ensure the fund assets are held in trust and invested on behalf of the…

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ATO targeting SMSF non-compliance

The Tax Office is warning SMSF trustees that they will be contacting SMSFs that have not regularly complied with their lodgment obligations. The ATO is reminding trustees that lodging an SMSF annual return is an obligation and failure to do so is a breach of super laws. To avoid penalties, the Tax Office is urging…

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Consolidating your super

Chances are, if you have had more than one job, you will most likely have multiple super accounts. Having multiple super accounts means more fees and less savings. Consolidating all your super accounts into one account can help you to keep track of your super, reduce unnecessary paperwork, and most importantly, save on costs. The…

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Reviewing your trust deed before 30 June

With changes to Australia’s superannuation rules coming into play on 1 July 2017, self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees would do well to review their fund’s trust deed. Despite the fact that maintaining an up-to-date trust deed is a vital aspect of managing a SMSF, many trustees fail to do so, usually due to the time…

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Who is a ‘related party’ in an SMSF?

Self-managed super funds (SMSFs) have a number of investment restrictions which apply to transactions conducted within the fund. One such restriction applies to transactions involving ‘related parties’ of the fund and ‘relatives of members.’ No one associated with the SMSF should obtain a present-day benefit from the fund’s investments. The fund needs to meet the…

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Investing on arm’s length

Running a self-managed super fund requires trustees to adhere to complex laws and follow a number of onerous rules. One of the most fundamental investment rules for SMSFs is that the trustees must transact on an arm’s length basis to ensure no conflict of interest arises. An arm’s length transaction requires trustees to conduct on…

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