The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is closely monitoring trustee education seminars, particularly those being held overseas, to make sure the associated strategies and investments fall into line with the sole purpose test.

Home equity bias typically reflected in SMSF portfolios may mean these superannuants will miss better investment opportunities in both growth and value stocks not listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, according to a global funds management house.

Recent industry research performed by Investment Trends has shown compliance is now the biggest challenge financial planners face when servicing their SMSF clients.

Trevor Clisby has joined the team of independent stock research company Skaffold to lead its push into the SMSF administration market.

CPA Australia has advised its members against signing financial advice certificates required by some banks to finalise limited recourse borrowing arrangements (LRBA) due to any professional liability that may arise from doing so.

The use of stochastic models is a more effective method in addressing issues such as longevity and sequencing risk when attempting to formulate optimal financial plans for individuals in retirement, according to a specialist SMSF actuary.