An industry consultant has said low-to-middle-income earners will benefit from a rise in the super guarantee levy from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent.

SMSFs drawing high levels of tax free income in the past have been held up by a superannuation body as a reason for the introduction of the transfer balance cap in 2017.

After suffering a slight decline in recent years, SMSF establishments look to be on the rise again, according to the latest research into the sector.

A superannuation guarantee increase would be a good thing for Australia, but a new metric is needed to better measure the potential benefits.