News

SMSF

SMSFs record exceptional growth

New SMSFs Class Class Ignite 2024 Wind-ups Growth 2024 Annual Benchmark report

SMSF establishments over the 2024 financial year are predicted to hit around 30,000 new funds, with growth driven largely by younger members.

read more
Retirement, Superannuation

Age pension fails to meet retirement needs

Retirement Age pension Superannuation

The age pension is proving insufficient to support even a basic standard of living in retirement, leading to growing concerns about financial well-being among senior Australians.

read more
financial advice, Financial Planning, Tax

ATO updates advice fee deduction rules

Financial advice fees Tax deduction ATO Tax determination FAAA Financial Advice Association of Australia Sarah Abood

The ATO has released new rules around the deductibility of financial advice fees, which should reduce the upfront cost of advice.

read more
ASIC, Compliance, ESG, Investments

Vanguard to pay $12.9m greenwashing penalty

Greenwashing ESG Vanguard Mercer ASIC Federal court

Vanguard Investments Australia has been ordered to pay a multi-million-dollar penalty for false statements regarding the application of ESG screens to a bond index fund.

read more
Pensions, Retirement, SMSF

Trustees retiring earlier with more

Class SMSF TRIS Transition-to-retirement income streams APRA Pension

Research has found a much higher percentage of SMSF trustees are in pension phase and have larger member balances compared to those in APRA-regulated funds.

read more
BDBNs, Tax, Trusts

BDBNs may hinder estate plans

BDBN Superannuation proceeds trust Binding death benefit nomination SMSF

A BDBN may not always be the best option for handling superannuation death benefits as it can lack the flexibility a trust structure provides.

read more
Downsizer

New partners eligible for downsizer

Downsizer contributions Remarriage Second relationship BT Technical Services Tim Howard

Downsizer contributions are not closed off to superannuants who have remarried, even if they are not on the title of a property, with eligibility to contribute, not ownership, the key criteria.

read more
financial advice, Regulation

Dixon parent company to delist

FAAA Dixon Advisory E&P Financial Group CSLR Compensation Scheme of Last Resort ASX

The parent company of Dixon Advisory has announced plans to move into private ownership, but this is unlikely to prevent public scrutiny during the inquiry into the collapse of the advice firm.

read more
Auditing, SMSF

Qualified audit isn’t non-compliance

ATO Audit Valuation Qualification

SMSF trustees may overestimate the consequences of a compliance breach related to asset valuations, but they are still required to make efforts to obtain sufficient evidence.

read more
ATO, Regulation, SMSF

Non-residency must be reported

Annual return ATO SMSF Residency Central management and control test

The non-resident status of an SMSF must be reported to the ATO rather than it informing practitioners of that fact as they would have the information before the regulator.

read more

Copyright © SMS Magazine 2025

ABN 80 159 769 034

Benchmark Media

WordPress website development by DMC Web.