Michelle Bromley CFP®, Director & Private Client Adviser – Strategy and Advice In the realm of wealth planning, a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) is a powerful tool, granting individuals autonomy over investment of their retirement savings and providing strategic planning opportunities not available in larger super funds. A critical decision when setting up an SMSF is choosing between a corporate trustee and individual trustees. While the simplicity of individual trustees may seem appealing, a corporate trustee offers numerous advantages.   In this article, we will explor ..read more

Natalie Simmons, Managing Director ESG, Purpose & Sustainability Actions speak louder than words and engagement reaches its peak when your people are ac What do you get when you survey over 14,000 Gen Z and 8,000 millennials in 44 countries? The Deloitte Global 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, that’s what. And it is truly an incredible read worth your time for a number of important reasons, regardless of which generation you’re from.  The history of the idea of ‘generations’ is a fascinating one. In his New Yorker article from a couple of years ago, Pulitzer-winner Louis Menand trace ..read more

Michelle Bromley CFP®, Director & Private Client Adviser – Strategy and Advice Preserving and protecting family wealth across generations is a paramount objective for high-net-worth individuals. To achieve this, astute investors often rely on trusts as a key component of their wealth preservation strategies. Trusts offer a range of benefits, including asset protection, efficient estate planning, and tax advantages. In this article, we delve into the role of trusts in preserving capital and securing the financial legacy of affluent families. The Power of Trusts: Trusts have long been recogn ..read more

Natalie Simmons, Managing Director ESG, Purpose & Sustainability We always talked about the importance of people and how critical it is to attract, nurture, empower and obviously retain them. Empowering them will have a very significant impact on how they buy into your company vision, mission, values and purpose. We have lots of sayings around the Prime offices these days, but this is one of my favourites -   Purpose Drives People. People Build Communities. Communities Change The World.  And this saying has provided us with the proverbial ‘fire in our belly’, inspiring us to crea ..read more

Monthly Commentary by Blackmore Capital (Australian Equities Consultant) Australian Equities The ASX 200 declined 2.5% in May as Banks and Resources, the bell-weather sectors of the Australian equity market, weighed heavily on market returns. The 1H23 bank earnings results highlighted the near-term outlook remains challenging. The initial benefits of higher interest rates on bank net interest margins (NIMs) have been diluted by elevated competition for deposit and mortgage customers. A more cautious outlook for earnings and returns for the banks has further contributed to its relative underper ..read more

Natalie Simmons, Managing Director ESG, Purpose & Sustainability The UN Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies and to take action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with – globally more than 15,000 companies and 3,800 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 69 Local Networks. We see this as an important step, as we prepare our inaugural sustainability rep ..read more

Automation and machine learning is driving significant advancements in a range of industries. The component of software development in R&D projects has increased significantly in the past ten years. According to Innovation Industry and Science Australia (AusIndustry), almost half of the R&D-performing entities registered R&D activities where in the field of information and computing science in 2016-17, which is more than double the number in 2005-06. Currently ICT related activities comprised 48% of all R&D expenditure claimed. The application of the R&D tax incentive progr ..read more

There has been a significant push by the clinical trial industry in Australia to utilise the R&D tax incentive program to increase revenue into Australia for their services. Various reviews, including one conducted by the government funded industry growth centre, MTP Connect, in 2017 that found that $1.1 billion is spent on clinical trials in Australia annually, including $930 million by industry sponsors. These trials supported around 6,900 highly skilled jobs in Australia. For companies, the R&D tax incentive program is part of the appeal of clinical trials in Australia, along with a ..read more

Natalie Simmons, Managing Director ESG, Purpose & Sustainability Business as usual. That’s what BAU stands for, just in case, among the millions of acronyms doing the rounds, this one slipped by you. After 3 years of global pandemic, you could be excused for wondering if there is such a thing as BAU. Anxiety, lack of trust, uncertainty, unpredictability, a decline in mental health – these conditions and more, have, in the last 3 years, risen in most developed countries. And depending on who you read, Covid-19 is pegged as one of, if not the, most major causes of this rise. According to the ..read more

Monthly Commentary by Blackmore Capital (Australian Equities Consultant) Australian Equities The ASX 200 rose 1.85% in April with all sectors adding value except Materials. Thus far, equity markets have weathered multiple interest rate rises, stickier inflation, and a US regional banking crisis.    One of the key reasons why equity markets have been so resilient despite many of the risks is that corporate earnings and margins have held up better than expected, supported by low unemployment and a resurgence of migration levels. Moreover, volatility in equity markets remains low, seemi ..read more