The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has rejected suggestions an obligatory minimum balance should be satisfied before an SMSF can be set up.

The SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) has hit back at the critics of SMSF investing strategies, claiming this group levels negative feedback at the sector regardless of the investment techniques it employs.

Advisers should encourage their SMSF clients to act now on legitimate strategies and not allow them to be dissuaded from pursuing their desired course of action due to a fear of proposed legislative change, according to a specialist superannuation lawyer.

Specialist SMSF administration provider Xpress Super has warned SMSF members they are in danger of losing their Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) as a result of the impending legislative changes to the sector.

SMSF investor behaviour is beginning to influence financial product development, with one recognised fund manager using this factor in designing a capital-protected offering it recently released to the market.

Determining a minimum fund size to achieve cost-effectiveness rests with the fund balance, the number of fund members and the investment strategy, according to research conducted by the Centre for International Finance and Regulation (CIFR).

AMP is looking to leverage off its newly developed SMSF research and education centre to provide an official facility for trustees to satisfy any education orders received from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as part of the regulator’s new penalty regime.

The increased level of automation involved with the establishment and administration of SMSFs could lead to some advice being provided by computers in the short term, an industry specialist has suggested.

The risk of SMSFs being targeted for fraudulent activities increases in conjunction with the growth of the sector, placing greater onus on accountants and auditors to put procedures in place to protect their clients from the actions of criminals, according to a fraud prevention specialist.