Part 4: Other Pathways to Wholesale Investor Status
Additional Pathways to Wholesale Investor Status SMSFs may still achieve wholesale classification through legitimate alternatives: · $500,000 investment: Making a single investment above this threshold can qualify you as wholesale under section 761GA. · Sophisticated investor certificate: A licensed financial adviser, or investment advisor, may assess you as having sufficient financial experience to qualify, even […]
Part 3: Superannuation Fund’s Importance on Wholesale Investor Certificates
Special Rule for Superannuation Funds The Corporations Act includes a specific provision for superannuation funds. Where a SMSF receives an advice on a superannuation product, it is a retail client unless the superannuation fund has net assets of at least $10 million (s761G(6)) This $10 million rule caused confusion. In 2014, ASIC issued Media Release […]
Part 2: How to acquire a Wholesale Investor Certificate
There are several prerequisites to receive a Wholesale Investor Certificate. Wholesale Clients and the Corporations Act An SMSF can be a wholesale investor if it satisfies the tests under sections 708 and 761G of the Corporations Act, including: · Net assets of at least $2.5 million; or · Gross income of at least $250,000 per […]
Salary sacrificing your super
By Westcourt Blogger Contributing extra to your superannuation is a good way to boost your retirement funds. One of the ways you can add more to your super is through salary sacrificing. Salary sacrifice is an arrangement with your employer to forego part of your salary or wages in return for your employer providing benefits […]
Government passes’fairer’ super changes
By Westcourt Blogger The Australian Government has recently passed what it is calling the’most significant superannuation reforms in a decade’. The reforms include the introduction of a $1.6 million transfer balance cap, which places a limit on the amount an individual can transfer into the tax-free earnings retirement phase and the introduction of the Low […]
Are you short-changing your employees on super?
By Westcourt Blogger A new report has revealed around 2.4 million or almost one third of Australian workers are missing out on some or all of their super entitlements and little is being done about it. Under the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) employers must contribute 9.5 per cent into the super account of every worker over […]
Transition to retirement (TTR) changes
By Westcourt Blogger With the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the transition to retirement (TTR) pension to take effect from 1 July 2017, those with existing arrangements should review them to avoid any adverse impact on their retirement funds. Following changes in the 2016 Federal Budget, from 1 July 2017, transition to retirement (TTR) pensions […]
Succession planning for SMSFs
By Westcourt Blogger A mandatory component of managing a self-managed super fund (SMSF) is planning out what will happen to the fund if its trustee was to pass away. While succession planning may not be one of the first responsibilities that comes to mind when managing an SMSF, it is a necessity that can provide […]
Paying tax on superannuation contributions
The amount of tax an individual pays on their super contributions depends on whether the contributions were made before or after they paid income tax; they have exceeded the super contributions cap or they are a very high-income earner. Before-tax super contributions Concessional (before-tax) super contributions are taxed at 15 per cent. They include employer […]
Accessing your superannuation
Australians are required to meet a condition of release under superannuation law before they are allowed to cash preserved benefits, restricted non-preserved benefits or access any of their super. Some conditions of release restrict the form of the benefit or the amount of benefit that can be paid. These are known as ‘cashing restrictions’. The […]