Superannuation lobby group the SMSF Owners Alliance has questioned Treasury’s retirement savings tax concession figure of $32 billion, which was currently being used as justification to make changes to the system.

The SMSF Association is in discussions with government at several levels to allow SMSF trustees greater access to infrastructure investment opportunities.

Accountants looking to become licensed to provide advice, especially to SMSF clients, must be conscious any option they decide to take will have a significant effect on referral partner arrangements they might currently have in place with financial planners, according to a licensing specialist.

Instalment contracts could be a potential solution for SMSFs wanting to employ gearing-like strategies to acquire property in the event limited recourse borrowing arrangements are prohibited, a legal expert on the sector has suggested.

AssureInvest has launched a consulting service aimed at providing independent external investment solutions for accountants and financial planners operating in the SMSF space.

The ATO was looking to achieve positive outcomes from SMSF contraventions rather than reasons to mete out punishment, according to a superannuation specialist legal firm.

Perennial Value Management has broadened access to its Wealth Defender Equities offering, aimed at providing additional self-directed investor and in particular SMSF member appeal for the product via a listed investment company (LIC) structure.

Financial services firm Mafematica has launched a robo-advice offering to the SMSF market designed to help trustees overcome their ‘loneliness’ in regard to their retirement planning.