As an SMSF trustee, you’re responsible for making sure your fund complies with superannuation laws. One of the most important rules is simple: your super must be preserved until you meet a condition of release. Accessing your super too early might seem tempting in tough times, but doing so can be illegal and carry serious...

Most people know roughly how much they have in super. Far fewer know the one number that can determine which contribution strategies are available to them. That number is your total super balance (TSB). Your TSB is the combined value of all your super interests across all your super funds. In simple terms, it is...

From 1 July 2026, the amount you can contribute to super will increase, creating new opportunities to boost your retirement savings. The annual concessional contribution cap will rise from $30,000 to $32,500. These are contributions made from pre-tax money, such as employer contributions, salary sacrifice and personal deductible contributions. Non-concessional contributions The annual non-concessional contribution...

There’s been a lot of talk about changes to super, and one of the biggest updates is now official. The government has passed the Division 296 tax, which will start from 1 July 2026. While it mainly affects people with large super balances, it’s still important to understand what’s changing and why. A quick recap...

Thinking about easing into retirement while maintaining your lifestyle? A transition to retirement (TTR) strategy may help by allowing you to access part of your super as a regular income stream while you continue working. How a TTR strategy works If you’ve reached your preservation age (now 60) and you’re still working, you may be...

From 1 July 2026, employers must pay their employees’ superannuation guarantee (SG) contributions at the same time as salary or wages. This new system is known as payday super. Currently, most employers pay super on a quarterly basis. From July 2026, super will instead need to be paid each pay cycle. The ATO has released...

Superannuation rules are always evolving, and 2026 is shaping up to be another year of important changes. Some of these updates may only affect a small group of people, while others could impact almost everyone with super. Whether retirement feels a lifetime away or it’s already on the horizon, understanding what’s changing can help you...

Most people think of superannuation as money they can’t touch until retirement, but there are important exceptions. One significant exception is the permanent incapacity condition of release, which can allow people who are totally and permanently disabled to access their super earlier. Understanding how this works can make a real difference at a time when...

Most of us keep a close eye on our bank accounts. But superannuation can be easier to lose track of, especially if you’ve changed jobs, moved house, changed your name, or simply set up a new fund and assumed everything followed you. That’s why the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has issued a timely reminder. There...

If your SMSF owns a beach house, country cottage or apartment that feels like the perfect Christmas getaway, this is your friendly end-of-year reminder: you and your family can’t use it over the Christmas and New Year period, not even “just for a week,” and not even if it’s sitting vacant. It’s one of the...