The recent Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announcement signalling its intention to make it easier for SMSF trustees to invest in wholesale financial products will lessen some of the safeguards applicable when these individuals were categorised strictly as retail investors, a specialist law firm has said.

The Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) new penalty regime involving the imposition of fines on SMSF trustees for compliance breaches may eradicate the use of discretion by the regulator in certain circumstances, according to an industry professional.

Property investment specialist Future Estate has reported the median dwelling price of all combined capital cities is now close to $520,000, reflecting a yearly increase of over $25,000. The 12-month rise in property values, outlined in its September 2014 residential property update, was more than double that experienced in the year to June 2013. According […]

Research house Zenith Investment Partners’ recent Infrastructure Sector Review has concluded employing currency hedging in relation to infrastructure investments is a preferable strategy. Zenith investment analyst Jonathan Baird said during times of currency volatility, like those resulting from the global financial crisis (GFC) and the European credit crisis, choosing not to hedge investments in overseas […]

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has published details of the procedures SMSF trustees can follow if they wish to challenge the severity of a remission decision regarding the new administrative penalty regime for contraventions of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act.

The SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) has declared its support for the federal government’s decision to create a register of financial advisers.

The Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) and the United Kingdom-based Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) have amalgamated their operations to become the IPA Group.

SMSFs are having their tax obligations made easier as a result of the increased employment of technology, according to platform provider Hub24.

Financial advisers need to communicate the value they can add in a more effective manner in order to service a larger number of SMSF clients, according to ING Direct business and savings manager Tim Hewson.