Posts by Rob
Should I salary sacrifice?
0May 17, 2012
Generally, there are two reasons why you may want to salary sacrifice. The first is to boost your super for retirement. The second is to reduce tax on your salary.
If your primary reason is to boost your super for retirement then making contributions yourself via salary sacrifice is a [...]
Excess super contributions tax
0May 16, 2012
Excess superannuation contributions tax is an additional tax applied to super contributions which exceed the contribution cap limits.
There are two types of contributions which can be made to super and both have a maximum limit per year before the excess tax is applied.
The first type of [...]
New superannuation rules for high income earners
0May 13, 2012
As Benjamin Franklin once said “nothing is certain except death and taxes.” In the May 2012 budget the Federal Government announced higher superannuation taxes for those earning more than $300,000 p.a.
From 1st July 2012, if you earn more than $300,000 p.a. you will pay 30% tax on pre-tax [...]
Changes to the government superannuation co-contribution scheme from July 2012
0May 10, 2012
Prior to the May 2012 Federal budget the government announced a reduction in the superannuation co-contribution scheme.
The government will reduce the maximum co-contribution to $500 from 1st July 2012 on a 1 for 2 basis. For the current financial year ending on 30th June 2012, a person can [...]
Beware the salary sacrifice trap
1May 9, 2012
The Federal Government announced numerous proposals in the budget presented on 8th May 2012.
One of these was the deferral of allowing individuals with superannuation balances under $500,000 to contribute more than $25,000 into super until 1st July 2014. In the 2010 budget they announced [...]
Bad news for retiring Baby Boomers
0May 9, 2012
The Federal Government last night announced a deferral of the pre-tax contribution cap limit until 2014/2015.
This is bad news for anyone trying to boost their super over the next 2 years through salary sacrifice arrangements or for self employed people looking to make deductible [...]
Govt accused of reincarnating superannuation surcharge
0May 1, 2012
The Federal Government has been warned that any move in the Federal Budget to increase the superannuation contributions tax on high income earners will simply represent a reincarnation of the superannuation surcharge.
The Small Independent Superannuation Funds Association (SISFA) has made the [...]
Budget set to deliver super-sized tax bill for superannuation savers
0April 28, 2012
THE Budget looks set to add $1 billion to the tax bill of the richest superannuation savers by putting an end to the 15 per cent flat tax on contributions.
And the Government will challenge the Opposition to reject this means-testing measure which will affect only the top income earners.
All [...]
Success in going it alone
0April 25, 2012
In an era when superannuation returns have been disappointing, John Collett examines the pros and cons of taking charge of your own fund.
Savvy baby boomers are increasingly asking themselves whether or not to start a DIY superannuation fund. Woeful returns from providers and high fees are [...]
Govt must rule out super tax concession cuts
0April 23, 2012
Four industry bodies unite to reject the budget plan.
Industry bodies have united to oppose a leaked plan to reduce tax breaks on super contributions.
The government risks undermining confidence in its superannuation reforms and leaving Australians poorer in retirement if it reduces tax [...]
DIY super funds show experts how it’s done
0April 21, 2012
Many people would be surprised to learn that the biggest sector in Australia’s superannuation industry isn’t industry funds or the big retail funds that dominate the headlines.
Nor is it government or employer funds. Yes, 99 per cent of super funds and almost one-third of super assets are in [...]
Terminal terminology
0April 18, 2012
Most Australians think jargon renders super baffling and boring, so let’s rephrase that.
Are you in breach of your concessional contributions cap because you didn’t factor in the super guarantee before you made salary-sacrifice contributions, thus incurring excess contributions tax? Or did I [...]
Retirees increasingly opt for self managed funds
0April 17, 2012
Statistics from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) suggest that a growing number of retirees are moving their life pension savings into self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), with about 30 per cent of SMSFs starting pension payments in 2010 being less than two years old, according to a [...]
New requirements for employers under superannuation reforms
0April 16, 2012
The Federal Government is currently in the process of passing new reforms to the Superannuation Guarantees Administration Act 1992(Cth).
The Superannuation Legislation Amendment (MySuper Core Provisions) Bill 2011 was introduced on 3 November 2011 and is proposed to come into effect from [...]
Pros and cons of owning insurance
0April 14, 2012
WHAT is the difference between owning insurance under my super fund and owning it in my own name?
ANSWER: Determining the most appropriate structure to own insurance is dependent upon your age, whether you have a spouse and the age of your other beneficiaries. I will assume that the level of [...]
Businesswomen have inadequate superannuation, survey finds
0April 12, 2012
THOUSANDS of young businesswomen are facing poverty in old age, with less than half contributing to superannuation, research shows.
Many Australian female business owners will outlive their savings and be unable to sustain current lifestyles in retirement, according to a survey conducted by [...]
Superannuation and retirement not keeping boomers awake at night
0April 10, 2012
Australian baby boomers are less concerned about superannuation than expected considering many are fast approaching retirement, said Sunsuper’s general manager, customer experience Teifi Whatley.
Home ownership aspirations have taken a backseat to Australians’ dreams of financial [...]
How to retire early and lead the good life – ask the Hoggs
0April 10, 2012
THEY are the retirees governments dream of, never planning to take an age pension unless hit by unforeseen financial catastrophe.
Their house in Yarralumla, Canberra, is worth ”a smidgin over $1 million”. Their self-managed super fund also has more than $1 million in it. At 62 and 54, Ron and [...]
Super members ‘clueless’ on retirement income
0April 9, 2012
IT’S the great Australian turn-off. Despite 20 years of compulsory superannuation, people aged 50 to 74 years have a ”surprisingly poor” grasp of which investment choices ensure the best retirement income, university researchers have found.
Of 920 people surveyed who had money in a super fund [...]
Super ‘biased against lower paid’
0April 7, 2012
THE architect of compulsory superannuation says it has become an ”inequitable” scheme that should be changed to reduce its bias towards the better off.
Vince FitzGerald, whose advice underpinned federal Labor’s dramatic retirement policy overhaul two decades ago, said tax breaks for those [...]
