Financial Planning

There’s an old saying, to only focus on the things in life that you can control.

In an era of lower-for-longer interest rates and investment returns, retirees in particular should be thinking beyond just income generation to fund their lifestyle spending.

Acquiring shares under an employee share scheme (ESS) via your self managed superannuation fund (SMSF) may appear attractive but greater uncertainty has arisen following the ATO’s recent ruling, LCR 2021/2, on the application of the non-arm’s length income (NALI) rules to such a transaction.

No one can say for certain what the markets will do. What we do know however is that investors fare best when they focus on the factors they can control.

The ATO has made an extension to several COVID-19 compliance relief for SMSFs to cover the 2021-22 financial year.

Two recent AAT decisions shed important light on what constitutes business real property: Allzams Trust and Commissioner of Taxation [2021] AATA 2767 and Allen and Commissioner of Taxation [2021] AATA 2768.

Reinvesting income distributions and having the discipline to contribute regularly is a powerful way to build wealth, as evidenced in Vanguard's 2021 Index Chart.

Retirees face a variety of risks in retirement including market risk, inflation risk and longevity risk. Here are some strategies to help mitigate them so you can achieve financial peace of mind.

Individuals can now recontribute amounts they withdrew under the COVID-19 early release of super program.

While society continues to grapple with the factors driving gender and pay inequity, women are proactively turning to investing more than ever before. And in doing so, they are demonstrating a very competent and sensible approach to building up their wealth outside of superannuation.