Around 11,000 Australians invested about $1.1 billion of their retirement savings in the Shield and First Guardian Master Funds. These two managed investment schemes collapsed, costing investors their savings. Some investors have been compensated by their platform provider. However, many have not. The Government recently set out several changes to super to help protect members’...

If you worked overseas before settling here, you may still have money in a foreign retirement scheme. If the ATO recognises the scheme as a ‘foreign super fund’ you may be able to transfer it into an Australian super fund. Keep in mind the timing affects how much tax you pay. Transfer within six months...

If you are approaching retirement, you may have heard that some APRA regulated super funds pay a “retirement bonus” or “pension bonus” when you move your super into a retirement phase pension. It is money added to your account reflecting a provision of tax set aside on future capital gains.  Where does the money come...

Since 10 August 2026, SMSFs can no longer use a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA) to acquire residential property. Existing arrangements are grandfathered, and borrowing to acquire business real property is not affected. Co-ownership may be a solution for SMSFs without enough cash to purchase a property outright. However, keep in mind the rules are...

Every member of a self-managed super fund must also be a trustee of the fund, or a director of its corporate trustee. Before you set up a fund or add a new member, it pays to check that everyone is eligible. Getting this wrong can stall your registration or expose you to penalties. Meet the...

Are you an employee thinking of putting some of your pre-tax income into superannuation to boost your retirement savings? This is known as salary sacrifice, and the good news is that it can benefit you and your employer. What is salary sacrifice? An effective salary sacrifice agreement (SSA) involves you as an employee, agreeing in...

Have you ever wondered how much superannuation you will have and need in retirement? The answer is it depends on a range of factors, such as your lifestyle goals, whether you have paid off your mortgage, your financial situation, whether you live a relatively healthy lifestyle, your likely life expectancy, and so on. How much...

Knowing what your self managed super fund (SMSF) assets are worth has always mattered. It matters even more if your balance is approaching or is over $3 million. A new super tax and updated rules mean that getting your valuations right can affect how much tax you pay. A new tax on large super balances...

With a new tax on large super balances many people are asking where the best place is to grow wealth for retirement. The answer for many people is that super remains a great place to grow wealth. In fact, super may now be more attractive than ever before. The change that affects super From 1...

Self-managed super funds are generally not allowed to borrow money. A limited recourse borrowing arrangement, or LRBA, is one of the few exceptions. It lets a fund borrow to buy a single asset, with the lender’s rights limited to that asset alone. If the loan goes bad, the lender can take the asset but cannot...