AMP SMSF has strengthened its sales team with the appointment of Trevor Clisby to the role of SMSF solutions manager.

A significant proportion of accountants servicing the SMSF sector are intending to use the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) mFund Settlement Service for their clients in the immediate future, according to the latest Investment Trends research.

The SMSF Owners’ Alliance has welcomed Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s call for greater scrutiny of the governance of Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA)-regulated superannuation funds, especially in regard to trustee independence.

Individuals who will provide SMSF advice in a hybrid accounting and financial planning environment in the future may not be the highest-quality professionals due to a communication gap between learning institutions at all levels and the industry, according to some sector leaders.

Added diligence around timing and the name of the purchaser in relation to contracts of sale can save SMSF trustees and advisers from harrowing and costly stamp duty issues, a specialist law firm has said.

Accountants looking to apply for a limited Australian financial services licence are thinking twice about choosing a low-cost licensing option as they have acknowledged the need for additional support and guidance in relation to the transition into advice.

A recent property study has shown four inner-city suburbs of Melbourne are currently offering strong investment opportunities. Nyko Property’s “Annual Recommended Suburbs Survey” identified the inner-west suburbs of Footscray and Maidstone and the inner-north suburbs of Thornbury and Preston as good value areas in which to invest as they were undervalued in 2008/09, with sales […]

While active international share fund managers generated strong returns over the three years to 30 September this year, they did not do as well as the benchmark used to measure their relative performance, according to research house Zenith Investment Partners’ “2014 Global Sector Review”. The global equities yardstick used by the international share managers is […]

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has issued two interpretive decisions reinforcing its stance on zero interest loans issued to SMSFs.