TECHNICAL ARTICLES

The ATO wants to ensure that, when an SMSF has a significant majority of its investments in a single asset class, the Trustees have considered, as part of the Investment Strategy, the risks which could arise from that limited diversification. Through the course of this paper we will consider the…

The SMSF environment is generating more and more case law. Without proper care, conflict between a Pension Reversion Nomination and a Binding Death Benefit Nomination may be next. This article considers which nomination should apply first, when an SMSF Member leaves both a Reversionary Pension Nomination and a Binding Death…

Provided their Trust Deed permits, SMSF members can construct Binding Death Benefit Nominations in a similar fashion to a Will, enabling complex estate planning strategies for their SMSF. Along with Reversionary Pension Nominations, Binding Death Benefit Nominations (BDBNs) are the most common means by which a member will direct the…

The ability to commence most types of Complying Pensions in an SMSF ceased on 31 December 2005. However, those Complying Pensions could continue to be paid. The fact some SMSFs are still paying Complying Pensions gives rise to possible need for considerations by Trustees. The ATO’s release of its SMSF…

Trustees and advisers should consider a number of factors, including the impact on Centrelink benefits, if planning to change a Transition to Retirement Income Stream to an Account Based Pension. Transition to Retirement Income Streams (TRIS) A TRIS is a superannuation income stream that may be commenced once a member…

In this article we explore why it is so crucial for advisers to document the allocation of member benefit payments post the Super Reform changes. Now that we have finally come to terms with the rules around the Transfer Balance Cap (TBC) and Transfer Balance Account (TBA), many Advisors are…

The provision of individual legal review on your SMSF deed updates is essential to protect you and your clients from future litigation. Individual legal review and sign off is the process of a lawyer examining the current Trust Deed of your Superannuation Fund and confirming documentation prepared to update the…

Make a more informed decision around SMSF pensions by reviewing our most popular questions and answers. Paying a pension from a self-managed superannuation fund is not difficult, but you do need to know what you are doing. As a market leader in SMSF pension documentation, we’ve compiled a list of…

This technical article explores reversionary pensions and estate planning through a practical scenario. Joe is a single parent who has recently turned 60 years of age and retired. He has 2 adult children, Peter and Claire, from his first relationship, both of whom have generated significant wealth from owning and…

This technical article explores the priority of cashing of benefits and other options through a practical scenario. When Patrick turned age 55 and reached his preservation age a few years ago, he decided to commence a Transition to Retirement Income Stream (TRIS). He had a balance of $400,000 in the…