A Melbourne-based financial planning group has appointed a compliance expert and is bolstering its adviser training requirements after ASIC surveillance identified concerns surrounding the appropriateness of advice the group had provided to clients.

Former Macquarie Group SMSF division director Sarah Penn has launched a consultancy business for all financial services firms wanting to obtain greater traction in the sector through a better understanding of how it works.

Property investment specialist Future Estate’s August residential property update has indicated Sydney and Melbourne are the two cities providing the strongest capital gains. Quoting statistics from research house RP Data, Future Estate said Sydney and Melbourne dwelling values rose by 2 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively in the three months ending July 2014. […]

Russell Investments is the only product provider to be awarded a highly recommended rating in research house Zenith’s multi-manager sector review. The firm achieved the rating for all of its multi-manager offerings, made up of its Conservative Fund, Diversified 50 Fund, Balanced Fund, Growth Fund and High Growth Fund. The highly recommended ratings were awarded […]

Financial advisers with SMSF clients wanting to take advantage of the grandfathering rules applying to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) should commence pensions for those individuals immediately, according to an industry expert.

Global listed infrastructure as an asset class can be used to achieve many different investing objectives for SMSF trustees, according to an international portfolio manager.

Investments in exchange-traded funds (ETF) are very popular among SMSF trustees for a variety of reasons, but a proper assessment of these products remains crucial, according to a specialist fund manager. Head of iShares Australia Jonathan Howie said finding an appropriate ETF in which to invest was not getting any easier either as those types […]

SMSF trustees wanting to transfer retirement savings held in overseas pension schemes need to be aware these types of transactions count towards their contributions cap limits, a superannuation technical specialist has warned.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has begun asking SMSF trustees for additional supporting documentation as part of the new reporting rules for deferred contributions.