Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) has used its submission to the Financial System Inquiry to advise against criticism of the SMSF sector for taking unfair advantage of tax concessions within the superannuation framework.

Individuals with a reversionary pension in place need to review their circumstances in light of the new age pension deeming rules and the associated grandfathering provisions, a financial wealth group has warned.

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.

Applying a calculation based on a fixed percentage rate for income generated from excess non-concessional contributions to be refunded along with the contributions over the limit is the optimal method to determine these earnings under the proposed new superannuation rules, despite fairness concerns, according to a leading SMSF technical services manager.

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 further developed its educational support for its specialist members with the launch of an online technical mentoring program.

SMSF documentation and strategy specialist NowInfinity has joined forces with administration provider Class Super and accounting software firm Xero to automate certain SMSF functions, including fund establishment and setting up limited recourse borrowing arrangements.

Magellan Funds Group is in the process of securing inclusion on the new Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) mFund Settlement Service as a means of attracting fund flows from the SMSF sector.

SMSF advisers should consider bonds and fixed income investments for clients transitioning from the accumulation into the retirement phase, one industry expert has recommended.