The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), as self-managed super funds (SMSFs) regulator, has recently announced it will contact approximately 17,700 SMSF trustees in relation to their investment strategy. This is due to growing concerns that some SMSFs are invested in an overly concentrated manner, typically with real property. The ATO statement can be found here. The ATO…

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Jonathan Ekehov from Eko Finance and Home Loans writes There are lots of good reasons why more than half of Australians now use a broker to secure a home loan. Here are my top 5. 1. Probably the most important one that is we work for you, not the banks. We work with multiple lenders, not…

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A new scheme may help you make your dream of owning a home come true. Property prices in some parts of Australia have made owning a home unattainable for many prospective first‑time buyers. But the First Home Super Saver scheme, passed by the Australian Government back in December 2017, may help keep their dream of buying their first…

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What’s not to love about downsizing? Cheaper utility bills, fewer rooms to clean, a cozier feeling all around… When you’re downsizing for retirement, you may also qualify for a higher pension based on your assets, and even free up some cash which could go towards your all-important retirement savings. But, like with any big life…

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Beware the pitfalls Recent years have seen a rush of investors buying property through super. But while the strategy has its advantages, there are also some potential risks to be aware of. The pitfalls While property has been a good performer in recent years, property investing still involves a number of risks. Some hidden costs…

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