Economic and market outlook for 2025: Global summary

Economic and market outlook for 2025: Global summary

The global outlook summary highlights the top-level economic and market outlook, Beyond the landing, to be distributed in mid-December. . Global inflation has slowed sharply in the last two years and is now within touching distance of 2%. But the path to disinflation...
$3m super tax officially abandoned for this year

$3m super tax officially abandoned for this year

The government’s plan to increase the tax on superannuation balances over $3 million has officially been abandoned, at least for this year. . At first believed to have been left out of a group of bills Labor tried to push through via a guillotine motion on Thursday,...
Preparing to lodge quarterly January TBAR

Preparing to lodge quarterly January TBAR

The ATO is reminding SMSF trustees that if they have had transfer balance account events in the last quarter they must lodge a TBAR by 28 January 2025. . The regulator said SMSFs must report certain events that affect members’ transfer balance accounts quarterly using...
Divorce doesn’t alter contribution rules

Divorce doesn’t alter contribution rules

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has upheld an ATO decision to impose an excess contributions penalty and rejected a taxpayer’s claim a divorce-related superannuation split constituted special circumstances under taxation law. . The case involved a taxpayer,...
How to overcome your investment fears

How to overcome your investment fears

Are you thinking of investing but feel held back? Here's how to get started. . You're ready to start investing, but there's a few things holding you back. Firstly, while you have a bit of money set aside, you don't have a lot and you're...
Navigating the outcome of the U.S. election

Navigating the outcome of the U.S. election

History suggests that investors shouldn’t be concerned about material asset return differences under different political administrations. . A portfolio of 60% equities and 40% fixed income has produced an annual compound return of 8.1% since 1860 with a Republican...
SMSF succession planning part 1 – getting started

SMSF succession planning part 1 – getting started

  Part 1 examines the key characteristics of a sound SMSF succession plan including planning for control of the fund to pass into trusted hands in the event of a member’s death or loss of capacity.     For many Australians, superannuation is a significant asset...
ATO reviewing all new SMSF registrations to stop illegal early access

ATO reviewing all new SMSF registrations to stop illegal early access

The ATO said it is reviewing and assessing all new SMSFs before they can receive a registered or complying status on Super Fund Lookup (SFLU) as part of a program to stop illegal early access schemes. . As part of an ongoing program to raise awareness of the risks...
Compliance documents crucial for SMSFs

Compliance documents crucial for SMSFs

Failure to create, execute, perform and retain documents for an SMSF can leave a fund and its trustees unable to provide compliance evidence, warns a specialist legal expert. . Michael Hallinan, special counsel for SUPERCentral, said compliance documentation is vital,...