Including one’s children in an SMSF can be a very effective plan on many fronts. Darin Tyson-Chan examines the reasons to consider this strategy, but also the pitfalls that can be involved.

This year saw the introduction of a series of SMSF awards to recognise the top service providers in the sector. Krystine Lumanta and Zoe Fielding report on the winners in each category and the key factors driving their success.

A long track record and proven experience can be a considerable advantage when it comes to managing money. The winner in the Australian share fund category of the CoreData SMSF Awards, Perpetual Investments, benefits from its history.

SMSFs hold more than a quarter of their assets in cash and term deposits, according to the latest Australian Taxation Office statistics. But as interest rates have fallen, trustees are being encouraged to look elsewhere for returns on the defensive components of their portfolios.

Despite building software since the late 1980s, BGL Corporate Solutions managing director Ron Lesh believes the business’s success has come from its approach to its client service proposition, rather than on the software itself.

SMSF trustees often have a big gap in their portfolios when it comes to international investments. Australia’s share market only accounts for a tiny fraction of the world’s equities, but local investors, including SMSFs, tend to hold the bulk of their equities allocations in domestic stocks.

Wrap platforms simplify the task of administering SMSF portfolios. They provide consolidated investment and tax reporting, which assists SMSF trustees in complying with their annual reporting requirements.