The SMSF Association will be rolling out a number of programs to support its members throughout 2016 with a focus on raising the profile of professionals operating in the space.
Speaking at an SMSF Association Sydney chapter event late last year, SMSF Association chief executive Andrea Slattery said: “We’ve got many, many programs that we are going to be running out on almost a monthly basis with either services for you or services to support you.”
Further, the industry body will also be launching programs to aid the SMSF sector in the broader sense to better manage individuals’ needs in retirement, Slattery added.
“So there will be a lot of marketing, there’ll be a lot of promotion of SMSF practitioners and, as I said, we’ve got a number of campaigns we’ll be running out and as we run them out you will all be involved,” she said.
Compliance issues, she predicted, would take up a lot of an SMSF professional’s time and attention in the new year, but warned practitioners not to let those matters become all consuming.
“I think the greatest challenge you’re going to face in 2016 is actually trying to overcome the compliance issue and put it to the back room,” she said.
“I know it’s going to take up a lot of air time, but what’s more important is how you yourself can actually be recognised and how you can be found.”
Slattery nominated professionalism as the other major item practitioners were going to have to address if success is to be achieved in 2016.
“I think professionalism will be highest on the agenda, compliance is going to take up a lot of air time, but you’ll need to overcome that to actually be first to market and best to market,” she said.
“I think in 2016 if people aren’t across those two particular pieces, then there are going to be some problems within certain organisations.”
