Adelaide University has launched its new online SMSF initiative, the Specialist SMSF Course, to coincide with the 2013 Self-Managed Super Fund Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) National Conference.
Its longstanding relationship with SMSF consultant and SPAA board member Peter Hogan resulted in the university choosing his expertise to develop the content and exams.
As most professional qualification certificates were time-intensive and generally face-to-face, Adelaide University wanted to ensure its course brought together all aspects of running an SMSF and was delivered completely online to enable people to work from home or learn at their
own pace.
Hogan said there were a number of SMSF courses in the market, but all at varying educational levels. “It’s still very piecemeal at the moment,”
he said.
“One of the common complaints we hear is that there isn’t really sufficient education in the market to help people get through those qualifications. It’s a great opportunity to provide this material in a different fashion, but it’s not in the [form] of a webinar, PowerPoint or audio-type presentation; it is purely written material covering everything you need to know.”
The Specialist SMSF Course will take a maximum of six months to complete and is not restricted to just financial advisers or accountants.
The structure of the first release version would include about half a dozen modules with online multiple choice exams to be completed at the end of each, Hogan said.
“It goes from setting an SMSF up to winding it down and everything in [between],” he said.
“It will cover off setting up a fund, trustee responsibilities, appropriately creating investment strategies, in-house assets, the sole purpose test, calculation of tax in superannuation both in the accumulation phase and pension phase, estate planning and winding a fund up successfully.”
