In this episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, hosts Keith Ford and Aaron Dunn are joined by Craig Day, head of technical services at Colonial First State, to discuss the nuances surrounding invalidity for SMSF trustees and members.

Day breaks down some of the positives and negatives of holding TPD insurance within an SMSF and explains what advisers who may be recommending their clients go down this path need to understand.

Listen as they discuss:
• The most pressing considerations around invalidity and SMSFs.
• Why it is important to understand the compliance rules related to SMSFs and insurance.
• The role of beneficiaries in the context of recent legal challenges relating to spouses and de facto relationships.

In this special budget episode, hosts Keith Ford and Aaron Dunn discuss the flurry of activity happening on the regulatory front – and the noticeable absence of the $3 million super tax from the final two sitting weeks of Parliament.

They discuss what has led to the debate over Division 296 being delayed, including the government’s increasingly precarious position in the Senate, as well as some of the recent changes that will have a more tangible impact in the short term, such as the ATO’s update to its tax ruling on pensions commencing and ceasing.

Listen as they discuss:

• The Senate’s recent report on ASIC and its recommendation to overhaul the way the industry funding model operates.
• How TR 2013/5 will operate and what SMSFs need to know.
• The changes to NALI and the impact it will have on SMSF members.

In this episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, Adrian Fisher, head of distribution and product at RedZed, joins host Maja Garaca Djurdjevic to discuss why the self-employed lender has launched a new offering for SMSFs.

Fisher explains that SMSFs are a natural fit for small business owners, but they often run into hurdles, with infrequent super contributions scaring off traditional lenders and making it difficult to secure a loan at all, particularly when it comes to property investments.

Listen as they discuss:

• Why investing in property through an SMSF can be difficult for the self-employed.
• The importance of assessing each borrower on their unique circumstances.
• Filling the gap left by traditional lenders exiting the space.

In this episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Tracey Scotchbrook, head of policy and advocacy at the SMSF Association, to discuss the intricacies surrounding possible changes to the wholesale investor tests.

Scotchbrook explains the background to the current inquiry into the wholesale thresholds, including how SMSFs find themselves in a grey area between the standard $2.5 million threshold and the $10 million professional investor level, as well as why accountant’s certificates are no longer fit for purpose.

Listen as they discuss:

• How the stagnating levels have dramatically increased the number of Australians that meet the requirements.
• The complex regulatory framework surrounding financial services.
• Concerns around the disparity in regulatory costs between wholesale and retail advisers.

In this episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, hosts Keith Ford and Aaron Dunn are joined by Tim Miller, SMSF technical and education manager at Smarter SMSF, to discuss some of the contribution considerations advisers need to keep in mind ahead of 30 June.

Miller explains the concept of a ‘contributions matrix’ and how it can help SMSF members consider the future distribution of their superannuation funds, particularly in the context of blended families and estate planning.

Listen as they discuss:

• How to deal with benefit payments before the end of the financial year.
• The considerations around different fund assets from a tax perspective.
• What advisers need to be talking to their SMSF clients about.

In this special budget episode, hosts Keith Ford, Maja Garaca Djurdjevic, and Aaron Dunn discuss the outlook for financial advice and SMSFs on the back of a budget that revealed little in terms of detail for either sector.

They also take a look at some of the measures that were included, as well as why some high-profile topics were left out completely, such as the $3 million super tax being conspicuously absent.

Listen as they discuss:

• The need for more structural change within the taxation system to provide a meaningful impact.
• Why the headline-grabbing inflation predictions could be little more than a mirage.
• The missed opportunities to make a difference for advisers and clients.

In this episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, host Keith Ford is joined by Andrew McVeigh, managing partner at Remara, to discuss the property market and how the current landscape can impact how an SMSF invests.

McVeigh explains what is happening in the real estate market, the factors affecting it, and the strategies that SMSFs can utilise, as well as why the investors don’t need to be constrained by the traditional buy-and-hold model.

Listen as they discuss:

• The importance of diversification and risk management.
• How SMSFs can utilise property investment funds.
• Navigating the complexities of the current market with an adaptable approach.

In this episode of the SMSF Adviser Show, hosts Keith Ford and Aaron Dunn are joined by Tony Negline, superannuation and financial services leader at Chartered Accountants ANZ, to discuss some of the alternatives to the $3 million super tax.

Mr Negline explains CA ANZ’s range of position on division 296, detailing a range of alternatives that it has proposed to the government, and whether there is any chance that there will be substantial changed to the current form of the legislation.

Listen as they discuss:

• Some of the criticisms of division 296.
• The likely increase of the transfer balance cap to $2 million.
• What CA ANZ expects to see from the upcoming federal budget.