If you have spare cash you may be wondering how best to use it. Those with a mortgage often prefer to use surplus cash to pay down their mortgage. With rising interest rates and greater economic uncertainty this can be a wise choice. However, can contributing spare cash to super give you a better outcome?...

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’...

It has been proposed that people who pay rent or have a mortgage be allowed to divert a quarter of their future super contributions into take-home pay for up to three years. Employers would keep paying the full 12%, but the super fund would pay 3% directly to members who opt in. Reaction to the...

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...

Do You Need To Pay Superannuation? If you run a business, then the difference between engaging an employee and an independent contractor is a crucial matter – because if you engage a contractor there will be no obligation to pay annual leave or sick leave, and generally, no obligation to pay superannuation. However, crucially, many...

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...

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...

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...