There are plenty of ways to maximise your superannuation contributions prior to your retirement at any time of your life. As the means of funding your nomadic lifestyle, your seachange or your downtime after retiring, you want to make sure your superannuation is equipped to handle it. The Australian Taxation Office recommends that you should…
What happens to your super when you die? It might not be a question that has cropped up in many people’s minds, but it is something that you should be concerned about. Upon the untimely death of someone, their superannuation may be one of the elements of the estate that can be bequeathed and divided…
Australia’s superannuation laws are designed with the intent to ensure that your nest egg for retirement is protected and able to continue to grow throughout your career. Your employer is expected to make contributions to your superannuation by law, known as the Superannuation Guarantee, as a part of your wages and salary package. The current…
Depending on your relationship, you may have discussed with your partner the prospect of marriage. Or you might be more comfortable remaining in a long-term de facto relationship (especially since many de facto relationships have similar rights as those of a marriage). You might share a lot of things with your partner (such as a…
This year has seen a lot of amendments and changes to the rules governing superannuation funds and their providers by the Federal Government that may have an impact on how you as an employer deal with super. Are you aware of the changes to “choice of fund” rules that you might need to be aware…
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…
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…
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…
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…