Taking out insurance through a super fund can be a great option for some members, but it does also come with some pitfalls. Super funds typically offer three types of life insurance for their members – life cover, total and permanent disability and income protection insurance. Most super funds will provide their members with insurance…
There is a proverb that says that it is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask permission. Generally speaking, the idea behind this saying is that if you ask for permission and you do not receive it, then the punishment will be a lot harsher than if you do the thing that you asked…
Building up your super is one of the ways that you can finance your eventual retirement. But what will happen to your super if something were to happen to you prior to that? Much like how a will dictates what will happen to your physical assets, death benefit nominations ensure that superannuation benefits are properly…
Retirement might seem like a far off dream for many in the workforce, but it’s never too early to start thinking about how much money you might require to live comfortably in your golden years. Your super balance will most likely fund your retirement, so knowing how well it is performing at your current age…
On 1 July 2021, the Superannuation Guarantee Rate for employees increased from 9.5% to 10% of their wage or salary. With this increase, more and more Australians are now examining what that could mean for their super’s long-term performance. The superannuation guarantee, or SG, dictates the minimum percentage of your earnings that you need to…
A family trust is a great structure. It provides tax flexibility whilst giving you asset separation in two directions. But what does asset separation in two directions mean? And why might we suggest it to you as a recommendation? First of all, why do you want asset separation? If there are multiple assets, you want…
Last year, a number of Australians took advantage of the early access to their super that was a part of the financial support options offered by the government during COVID-19, and withdrew amounts to assist themselves. If individuals and sole traders had suffered financial hardship of at least 20 per cent due to loss of…
There has been a shakeup within the superannuation industry after the latest government reform passed through the Senate. You may have heard of Your Future, Your Super, which was introduced during the Federal Budget announcements of 2020-21, and wh Your Future, Your Super was introduced during the Federal Budget 2020-21 announcements as a reform measure…
There were a few changes to superannuation that were passed by the Senate recently. You can now use the bring-forward rule to make three years’ worth of non-concessional contributions (where you don’t claim a tax deduction) up until the age of 67. Last year the rules had changed to permit a person to make non-concessional…
Many years ago Julia Gillard’s government announced increases in the Superannuation Guarantee rate from 9% at the time, up to 12%. The impact of the Global Financial Crisis has led subsequent governments to continually postpone these increases. So far, Australia has only received two increases, back in 2013 and 2014, when the superannuation rate went…