A limited licence presented a pathway for accountants to maintain their independence in the way they operated their business, according to a newly formed team of professionals.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has disqualified another two individuals from being approved SMSF auditors, bringing last week’s ban total to three.

The threat of automated processes eliminating accountants and smaller administrators from the SMSF administration space is not as big or immediate as is being made out, according to an industry executive.

Former Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) head of superannuation Liz Westover has been appointed as PwC Private Clients director as part of its plans to bolster its SMSF practice.

One in seven SMSF trustees planned to increase their allocation to international equities in the next year and of those already invested globally, 28 per cent would boost their exposure, according to a report from Zurich.

Financial services company Spring FG has announced it will launch an online SMSF establishment, operation, administration and investing service early next year.

Providing advice and services for SMSF clients remains an outstanding opportunity for accountants as the accounting-only business model for these practitioners is rapidly becoming obsolete, according to the head of a specialist software organisation.

Trustee lobby group SMSF Owners’ Alliance (SMSFOA) has hit out at the Grattan Institute’s recommendation that yearly concessional superannuation contributions caps be set at $11,000.

Accountants looking to provide financial advice need to be mindful of the litigation risk associated with those services, according to an insurance specialist.