Super & Funds

Working and saving money for as long as possible may be the best strategy for those approaching retirement.

YOUR QUESTIONS

How can we make the most of looming retirement?

George Cochrane 5:47 PM   What's the best solution for a couple galloping toward post-work life with a small super balance?

SUPER & FUNDS

Employers to escape penalty on super non-payment

Under the changes, the effective penalty would be of the order of tens of dollars.

John Collett   Why is the government sending the wrong signal to bosses about paying staff super?

Time to ditch emerging-markets benchmarks: AB

AllianceBernstein portfolio manager Tassos Stassopoulos says investors should steer clear of benchmarks when eyeing emerging-market investments.

Ruth Liew   Investors who try to tap into emerging-market growth by building up stock portfolios that mirror benchmark indexes risk picking up old stories.

Adviser steered us wrongly over mother's home

Renovating a home for rent can have its pitfalls.

George Cochrane   Mother moves to care home. Children spend money doing house up. Six years later they face a tax bill.

ROBO-SUPER

Getting the most out of your SMSF

The rise of online administration means it's possible to run most funds for between $1000 and $3000 annually.

Richard Livingston   The rise of online administration means it's possible to run most funds for less than $3000 a year.

SUPER & FUNDS

Workers to suffer if super plan succeeds

The membership of boards which control industry funds superannuation is in for a shake-up.

John Collett   Last week the government introduced a bill into parliament that will, if it becomes law, mess up and probably, over time, wreck, the very successful not-for-profit fund model.

YOUR QUESTIONS

How can I stop fees from chewing up my super?

It can be a dog's life if your super funds get chewed up by fees.

George Cochrane   Unemployed teacher finds casual work but learns that sometimes super is eaten away to nothing.

SUPER CHARGE

Super switch can bear fruit

Changing horses in mid-stream might sound like a hassle, but it could earn you a big payback at retirement time.

Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon   Pick the right super fund and you could end up a lot better off when retirement rolls around.

SUPER SLEUTHS

Five ways to keep track of your super

Lost super accounts are more than just loose change: one woman has forgotten about an account valued at $2.4 million. Photo: iStock

Olivia Maragna   Here are some simple steps to make sure you maximise your superannuation and don’t forget about random accounts.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Five tried and true ways to plan for retirement

MON00-Olivia Olivia Maragna

Olivia Maragna   Here are five lessons from existing retirees who have found themselves wishing they had done something different when they could.

SUPER & FUNDS

More boomers in retirement debt trap

An increasing number of baby boomers are finding it hard to resist the lure of spending more and are going into retirement with considerable debts.

John Collett   Survey finds there's more debt all round but one group seems resigned to carrying it into their post-work life.

Pension policy hits those without homes

Under today's rules, retiring without owning a home guarantees a substandard level of living. Photo: Erin Jonasson

Daryl Dixon   A proposal to allow first-home buyers access to their super has been criticised - but it has many merits.

SUPER & FUNDS

Tax office has rental properties in its sights

The ATO will be sending letters to taxpayers in about 500 postcodes across Australia, reminding them to only claim the deductions to which they are entitled. Photo: Josh Robenstone

John Collett   Over the past couple of years the Tax Office has been giving particular attention to the almost 2 million people who own rental properties.

Super trustees slow on member engagement, says Murray

David Murray, the architect of Australia's wide-ranging financial system inquiry, says super fund trustees are not doing enough to engage members' interest in their retirement savings decisions and outcomes.

Ruth Liew   Superannuation fund trustees are failing to properly engage their members and encourage them to move assets into low-risk products at appropriate times, David Murray, the chairman of Australia's wide-ranging financial system inquiry, has said.

SUPER & FUNDS

Call to add family home to age pension calculations

The grass may no longer be quite as green on your side of the fence.

John Collett   Financial heavyweight says family home could be included in means testing for the age pension.

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SUPER PLANS

Changes a cause of concern for retirees

MON00-Olivia Olivia Maragna

Olivia Maragna   Super changes - or potential changes - are a big source of worry for many.

SUPER & FUNDS

Long-term view gives best picture

The hand you're dealt: A dramatic sell-off in Chinese stocks caused turmoil around the world.

John Collett   The recent sharemarket volatility does not mean a return to the darkest days of the global financial crisis.

Super is about the long term

MON00-Collett

John Collett   Australian's retirement savings are taking a hit as the Chinese dragon breaths fire, causing sharemarkets around the world to tumble.

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TIP OF THE WEEK

Family trusts mix well with SMSFs

A family trust is one way to ensure that your wealth is intergenerational.

Michael Hutton   If used together they can often prove very beneficial in maximising wealth creation and wealth preservation.

GETTING AHEAD

Funds hoping to be all things to all members

Money Map is a financial tool that can record where you are spending your money.

Sally Patten   Superannuation funds are increasingly acting as one-stop retirement savings/financial advice shops.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Can we live in our investment property?

Downsizing from a home to an apartment may be a good option, particularly if you plan to travel a lot.

George Cochrane   Would moving out of our current home and then renting it out be a wise move?

YOUR QUESTIONS

Is my UK pension more trouble than it's worth?

Overseas adventures can leave you with more than just memories.

George Cochrane   Should I transfer the money in my UK pension to my Australian super fund?

GOLDEN YEARS

Self-knowledge key to retiring with confidence

Horses for courses.

Olivia Maragna   If you want to know how much you'll need in the future, you'll need to know what you spend now.

ASSET CHECK

Encouraging voluntary contributions a fairer strategy

The elephant in the room is that raising the compulsory super rate to 12 per cent of salary will make it more difficult for many people to lift their standard of living.

Daryl Dixon   The superannuation industry continues to focus on compulsory super rather than helping people increase their voluntary contributions.

GETTING AHEAD

Line ball call when it comes to tax breaks

The good old Hills hoist in the backyard is being shoved aside for a money-making venture.

David Potts   Will property or shares enable you to make the best use of current tax rules?

SUPER & FUNDS

Super funds need a little push on fossil fuels

Climate change concerns are slowly prompting some superannuation funds to look to more ethical investments.

John Collett   Investing ethically is not popular with superannuation fund members.

Senator pushes crackdown on SMSF spruikers

Senator John Williams wants ASIC to investigate real estate agents who encourage working Australians to put their super into SMSFs so they can buy property.

Sally Rose   Real estate agents who encourage people to set up a self-managed super fund so they can borrow to buy investment properties are expected to face increased scrutiny for breaking the law.

Arete aims at minnows in charge of their own destiny

From left, Kelli Meagher, Jacqueline Fernley and Kirsty Mackay-Fisher, from boutique firm Arete Investment Partners, say super funds must think differently about investing.

Carrie LaFrenz   Boutique investment firm Arete Investment Partners says if superannuation funds are to meet their performance objectives they must begin to invest differently and seek investments that deliver returns despite the weak economic growth outlook.

AMP and Westpac agree to compensation scheme

AMP chief executive Craig Meller says he would support the establishment of a last-resort scheme for investors unable to receive the compensation awarded to them by a court for poor financial advice because their financial planner had gone broke or was refusing to pay.

Sally Rose   The heads of Westpac and AMP have told a Senate committee hearing they would back moves to force them to pay into a compensation scheme to provide a safety net for victims of their smaller rivals who have been left destitute, and pay higher licensing fees to help fund policing of their industry.

SUPER & FUNDS

Lots to like with LICs

Do you choose a managed fund, or decide that Listed Investment Companies can't be LIC-ked?

John Collett   Is it better to get diversification through a Listed Investment Company or by using a fund manager?