Advice for disabilities
Louise Biti explores the issues for providing advice where a person with a disability is involved, including the main concessions and special considerations that need to be taken into account. An overview of advice A person who suffers from a physical or mental disability may not be able to earn an income to support themselves and their family.
June 01, 2011
Making sure death benefit payments aren’t detrimental
Legislation allows the trustee of a super fund, including a self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF), to increase a death benefit payable to certain beneficiaries by making an “anti-detriment” payment. To make an anti-detriment payment the death benefit must be paid as a lump sum to one of the following beneficiaries: Calculating payment
May 01, 2011
Exchange-traded funds bring certainty to portfolios
There has been substantial growth in domestic exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded commodities (ETCs) over the past few years Portfolio design process When building a portfolio with ETFs, the following portfolio design process may be followed:
April 01, 2011
Aged care reform and the former home
Thought you didn’t need to know much about aged care The cost of aged care should be considered a normal expense of growing old and clients cannot afford to ignore the financial planning implications of aged care Future reform
March 01, 2011
Traps with deductible contributions to super
Louise Biti explores the rules for claiming tax deductions on personal super contributions and steps you can take to avoid falling into the many traps. Personal contributions to super may be tax deductible, but traps exist for the unwary and can result in significant tax penalties. Advice in this area needs to take into consideration
December 01, 2010
Are reserves worth the effort?
Louise Biti explores how reserves for self-managed super funds are set up, and when they might be useful. Reserves can be used by self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) to provide flexibility for the distribution of benefits across members of the fund. In so doing, reserves may create taxation advantages or provide strategic opportunities such as: • Inject
October 01, 2010
Industry digs deep to support good causes
Two recent events have underlined the financial services industry’s willingness to dig deep to help worthwhile causes, raising more than $320,000 between them.
August 18, 2010
Special circumstances, special trusts
Louise Biti shows why Special Disability Trusts are now worth a second look for families with disabled children When the concept of a Special Disability Trust (SDT) was established it seemed like a good idea; but the restrictions placed into legislation made them impractical and tax-ineffective. As a result, they have not been popular. Recent changes to both social security
August 07, 2010
F2 Wheel Classic Day 3: Wildlife, but no wild life
In a contest between a car and an emu, the emu almost never wins. But in a contest between a goat and a cyclist, it’s unlikely the cyclist will ever come out on top.
August 06, 2010
F2 Wheel Classic: One down, nine to go!
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a flat tyre and a broken fan belt – or so the saying goes. No such misfortune struck Ray Griffin and Peter Bobbin yesterday, as they rolled into Cobar at about 3pm, with the first 160km of a 1251km ride from Bourke to Sydney behind them.
August 05, 2010
F2 Wheel Classic – Day 1: Bourke to Cobar
F2F Wheel Classic – Day 1: Bourke to Cobar. The 2010 Future2Foundation Wheel Classic kicked off this morning – if “kicked off” is the correct way to describe the start of a 1250-kilometre bike ride – with Ray Griffin and Peter Bobbin leaving Bourke en route to Cobar.
August 04, 2010
