A growing number of accountants believe investment platforms are appropriate transaction, administration and reporting tools for their SMSF clients, according to the latest industry report.

Super Guardian has added additional functionality to its SMSF administration and investment service, Xpress Super, with the inclusion of a direct property option for clients.

The SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) has described as encouraging the continued growth of the sector reflected in the latest Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) statistics.

The SMSF advice market had been in a “static hiatus period” in the past three to four months due to uncertainties related to the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) reforms, according to the head of a financial services broking firm.

Accountants looking to build a successful SMSF practice under the new regulatory regime should not make the licensing requirements their main focus, according to an industry consultant.

While the trend of investing in growth assets is expected to continue, investors are also moving back into other classes, namely structured products.

Parents need to be cautious about including children in their SMSF and should ensure protective measures are incorporated into the operation of the fund in these types of structures, an expert SMSF lawyer has said.

There are many rules and regulations to comply with in running an SMSF. Kathleen Conroy provides a short quiz as a knowledge refresher for advisers and their clients.

The average contributions figure for self-managed funds for the year ended 30 June 2013 was $35,200, representing a fall of $12,300 from the previous year’s average of $47,500, the latest “Multiport SMSF Investment Patterns Survey” revealed.