Practitioners around the nation feel an interest charge of between 7 and 8 percentage points above the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cash rate would be suitable to demonstrate a related-party loan had been conducted at arm’s length, according to a survey conducted by leading SMSF legal firm DBA Lawyers.

Accountants must be wary of the opportunity costs associated with acquiring an Australian financial services licence (AFSL) in assessing their course of action when the exemption regarding SMSF advice was abolished, according to the head of an accounting firm.

Rules governing the acquisition of assets from related parties are strict but there is a little flexibility stemming from various exceptions, according to an SMSF specialist auditor.

The indexation of compliance penalty units announced in last week’s budget has reinforced the case for SMSFs to have a corporate trustee structure in place, a specialist lawyer has said.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has made submissions to the Federal Court seeking orders to impose bans on parties involved with ActiveSuper and Royale Capital, who are deemed to have been in breach of the Corporations Act and to have been carrying on an unlicensed financial services business.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has cancelled the credit licence of a property spruiking firm and confiscated the passports of the directors operating an SMSF advice firm as a result of two separate investigations covering the sector.

SMSF members looking to include allocations to small caps need to use a specialist fund manager to do so if they want to achieve the best results, according to an investment expert.

Having a good understanding of compliance rules is crucial when SMSF investors are looking to invest in property, according to the head of a financial education provider.

An analysis of the possible outcomes from the federal opposition’s proposal to change the taxation of superannuation income is necessary before an accurate assessment can be made about the merit of the plan, according to a retirement savings expert.