Introduction

By Pauline Hammer

Happy New Year Investors!

I hope you all enjoyed the festive season and have had a positive start to the new year.

We commence our first edition for 2010 with an article by an AIA Member, Mr G Smith, who has written about his SMSF. The Smith’s have been managing their own SMSF since 1996 and we very much appreciate this contribution.   

I would also like to thank Bryce Figot and Dan Butler from DBA lawyers for their informative article on the ATO’s focus on compliance of SMSF’s. The implications for non-complying funds can be quite severe. Please take the time to read the article and apply a “health check” to the compliance of your fund. I recommend that you seek professional advice to assist you if any uncertainty.

Many of us make provisions to ensure our death nominations state to whom the benefit is to be paid to on death but have we considered how the benefit is to be paid?  Bryce Figot from DBA Lawyers sheds light on this subject.

We have included a publication from the Eureka Report which provides interesting statistical information relating to SMSFs as a result of Jeremy Cooper’s - A Statistical Summary of Self-Managed Superannuation Funds.

Pauline Hammer CFP SSA Dip SA Fin Sub-Authorised Representative, Investment Strategists Pty Ltd, Corporate Authorised Representative of Professional Investment Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence 234951 Premium Adviser Rating and Self Managed Superannuation Fund Professionals Association of Australia (SPAA) Specialists Adviser.