Smarter SMSF, an industry award winning and trusted provider of SMSF documents and education, has unveiled its new Smarter Legal Review (SLR) service. This innovative solution is designed to assist advisers in mitigating the legal risks associated with the preparation of various SMSF documents, by obtaining expert legal review before client sign-off utilising our streamlined process.  In addition, the SLR service provides support for practitioners who have identified issues or defects in any SMSF documents that require rectification. “The introduction of Smarter Legal Review aligns with o ..read more

The break over easter gave me an opportunity to contemplate the success of this year’s SMSF Day events around Australia.  With over 180 attendees across the five locations, it was fantastic to once again be out in front of our members, and other professionals that join us for these highly technical and intensive SMSF full day events. To reflect on why these days are so well received, I thought that I’d share just some of the feedback from attendees, some who have attended for the first time, others who continue to come back year-after-year.  With an overall attendee rating of 4.54/5 ..read more

   In a landscape where the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is enhancing its focus on the compliance of Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) with market valuation requirements,  in this week’s edition of Feeling Smarter, Aaron Dunn and Tim Miller delve into the intricacies of this compliance issue, providing a comprehensive understanding and actionable advice for trustees and auditors.  The heart of the ATO’s compliance activity is a concerted effort to address SMSFs that have not updated the market valuations of certain asset classes for over three years. This focus particularly ..read more

In this week’s edition of ‘feeling smarter’, Tim Miller and Aaron Dunn look to untangle the concept of contribution reserving, a topic of heightened interest especially with the upcoming increase in the concessional contributions cap starting from July 1, 2024 from $27,500 to $30,000. The Growing Interest in Contribution Reserving The notion of contribution reserving has sparked considerable attention among SMSF professionals and trustees alike. This interest is largely driven by the strategic advantages it offers, particularly in light of the increased concessional cap. For self-employed ind ..read more

 In episode 25 of our Feeling Smarter videos, Aaron and Tim whilst travelling with the SMSF day events, delve into the often-complex world of estate and succession planning within the realm of SMSFs. These events sparked a myriad of discussions, underscoring the vital need for strategic planning and the nuanced considerations that come with it. The Critical Nature of Estate Planning in SMSFs A scenario was presented involving an SMSF member, aged 51, who tragically passed away, leaving behind significant insurance proceeds and a litany of strategic decisions for their estate. The heart of the ..read more

The SMSF Association National Conference is one of the annual highlights for the SMSF industry, with over 1,300 delegates coming together for this event.  The ‘secret sauce’ to the ongoing success is the high-level of technical content and wonderful opportunities to learn from your peers. As you can see within the video, it was a big week for the Smarter SMSF team, with both Aaron Dunn and Tim Miller presenting at the conference – Tim exploring contribution opportunities within SMSFs, and Aaron helping to optimise the SMSF journey. Another highlight of the conference was the Chair Award ..read more

   In episode 21 of the feeling smarter weekly video series, Aaron Dunn and Tim Miller from Smarter SMSF delve into the intricacies of transition to retirement income streams (TRIS), shedding light on the technical challenges and planning opportunities that lie within. TRISs are designed to offer flexibility for members approaching retirement, allowing access to part of their superannuation whilst still working. However, the transition from accumulation to retirement phase isn’t just a matter of age; it’s a nuanced process influenced by several factors, including retirement conditions, p ..read more

 The evolution of the SMSF Foundation course into the SMSF Essentials represents a strategic and forward-thinking response to the dynamic landscape of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSF) education. The decision to rebrand stems from a comprehensive assessment of the course’s effectiveness and its alignment with the needs of learners in the domain of SMSF. With over 400 students enrolled, the popularity of the course underscores the increasing demand for education in this field. This surge in enrollment also signals a broader trend: a growing recognition of the importance of accessibl ..read more

Smarter SMSF, an industry leading SMSF education and document provider is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of a new SMSF foundations course as part of its ‘starter, smarter, smartest’ approach to delivering SMSF education. This ‘starter’ course, co-developed by leading SMSF specialists, Aaron Dunn, and Tim Miller, is made up of 6 modules and provides 10 hours of training.  It has been designed for new entrants to the SMSF industry, including graduates, administration and offshore teams. “The upcoming release of this new foundations course is a great milestone for the business as we ..read more

 SMSF investment strategies remain an ongoing focus of the annual compliance requirements, with many auditors and the regulator paying much closer attention to trustees adhering with the requirements set out in SIS Regulation 4.09. In this webinar recording, Aaron Dunn – CEO of Smarter SMSF explores the current state of play with SMSF investment strategies, including: – the requirements for an SMSF investment strategy within the SIS Regulations and meeting auditor expectations. – the expectations of undertaking a review of the fund’s investment strategy in line with the ATO’s current views ..read more