Despite assurances they are ready to support the SMSF sector, the government and federal opposition treatment of the sector says otherwise.

Since the afternoon of 4 February, the talk dominating financial circles has all been about the final report from the banking royal commission.

If you’re part of the cricket loving public, you’ve probably been less than satisfied with the way Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has almost single-handedly disarmed our bowling attack and batted for what seems to be eons. It prompted spinner Nathan Lyon to ask him during the Sydney Test match, “Don’t you get bored?” Well I’d […]

As we draw nearer to the next federal election, and the very real possibility of a Bill Shorten-led Labor government, discussions around the ALP’s proposed policy of scrapping dividend imputation refunds to certain retirees are becoming more urgent.

I’ve often said I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I have to say recent events in Canberra can only have fuelled speculation the superannuation industry will be facing outright domination by industry funds should Labor win government next year.

The debate over the ability of SMSFs to use limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBA) seems to have gained momentum recently, with calls to ban these facilities once again being suggested by some parts of the industry.

When you hear the term political risk it is often mentioned as a factor to take into account when investing in a particular part of the world, such as certain emerging markets. It’s not usually associated with savings plans of modern economies, but that is exactly what we’re witnessing in this country.

In March, the Labor Party announced its proposal to ban the ability for SMSFs in full pension mode without a member receiving either a full or part age pension to receive imputation refund credits from the ATO.

Readers of my past editorials will know I have been extremely critical of some of the changes made to the superannuation system and in particular SMSFs by our elected officials in Canberra.