What are the different types of super funds?
Choosing an excellent super fund can make a big difference to your retirement outcomes. The first step is an understanding of the five broad categories of funds on offer.
Articles by Barbara Drury
2022 year in review, 2023 year in preview
After a year dominated by rising inflation and interest rates, war in Ukraine and negative returns, investors will be hoping for a soft landing in the year ahead.
Latest MySuper heatmap highlights best and worst performers
APRA’s blowtorch, in the form of its MySuper Heatmap, appears to be working, with fewer funds underperforming or exiting the industry in 2022.
How much super do you need to set up an SMSF?
It’s a debate that never entirely goes away, but there’s a growing body of research that indicates you may not need as much to start your own super fund as previously thought.
What are unrestricted and restricted non-preserved super benefits?
Your pot of retirement savings in super may actually be divided into several smaller pots, some of which can be withdrawn sooner than others.
How to find your lost super
If you are wondering why you have so little super to show for all your hard work, it may be time to search for super accounts you forgot you had.
What are the Age Pension residency rules?
The Age Pension is highly prized, but your eligibility and the amount you receive will depend on your residency status among other things.
Retirement planning case study: Single woman aged 52
Even if you are already in your 50s on a low to medium income, it’s not too late to achieve your retirement income goals.
Retirement planning case study: Couple aged 47 and 48
If you’re in your late 40s and want to continue your affluent lifestyle in retirement, it’s time to crunch the numbers and boost your super if necessary.
The arm’s length rule for SMSFs
Self-managed super funds are generally a family affair, but “mates rates” for fund transactions or business dealings are strictly off limits.
How do I transfer a UK pension to an Australian super fund?
It can make sense to bring your UK pension funds home to Australia, but the process is far from straightforward. We explain how it’s done.
How to prepare for an SMSF auditor and fill in your SMSF tax return
Even if you outsource most of the boring SMSF admin, there are two annual tasks trustees can’t avoid.
2021-22 Year in Review: Volatility reigns
Investors climbed a wall of worries in the closing months of the financial year, from rising inflation and interest rates to fears of recession.
How to create an investment portfolio in retirement
By the time you retire you may think you know a thing or two about investing. But retirement raises new challenges, especially when it comes to structuring your income.
The Sharpe Ratio: Risk-adjusted returns and your super
We all want to earn top notch returns from our super fund, but at what level of risk? This is how you find the sweet spot.
How to benchmark your super fund
If you’re unhappy with your super fund’s performance, it’s getting easier to check how it stacks up against the best of the rest. We explain how.
Dixon Advisory’s fall from grace: 4 lessons for all investors
When Dixon Advisory collapsed, it left a trail of aggrieved SMSFs and investment losses. It’s a saga we can all learn from.
3 very different types of retirement
Once you’ve blown out the candles on your 60th birthday cake, retirement beckons. Or does it? For many Australians, the path to retirement has twists and turns they never imagined.
