The Super Fund Co. Blog

There has been a lot of talk over the past few years about self managed super funds (SMSF), with statistics from the ATO revealing that as of March 2014 there are now over 1 million SMSF members. Since they were introduced, SMSF’s have been promoted as one of the best investment strategies for typically higher wealth individuals and families, and for those people who want more control over their retirement savings.

However recently, there has been a small but definite swing against having a self-managed fund. Whilst the benefits are plentiful – you own any shares your super fund holds in your name, meaning you receive the dividends and franking credits; and you choose what and where to invest, giving you greater control over your retirement nest egg – the compliance and admin burden is proving to be overly onerous for many.

SMSF have a raft of legally enforceable requirements, including the requirement to hold formal meetings and maintain minutes of investment decisions, having the fund audited annually by an approved SMSF auditor, and regular reporting to the ATO. Professional accounting, tax, audit, legal and financial advice needs to be sought, and as the trustee you are personally liable for all decisions made by the fund (even if you get external assistance).

SMSF’s are therefore relatively expensive to run and maintain – which is why the minimum recommended starting point for a SMSF is ~$300,000 – and are time consuming. And we all know that time is one of our most precious assets!

So how can you access the benefits of a SMSF, but without the onerous compliance, admin, time and cost burden? The Super Fund Co. is the answer.

Essentially, The Super Fund Co. is a like a SMSF but without the compliance and admin worries:

• You have a financial adviser who will choose the most appropriate investment portfolio for you, tailoring it as necessary to suit your situation and reviewing it with you regularly
• You have a super platform that provides you with access to the best long term money managers in the market, domestically and internationally
• All shares purchased are held in your name, just like a SMSF, so that you receive the dividend and franking credit benefits
• There is complete transparency of your investments, with the ability to access your portfolio in real-time online or on your mobile
• You have access to people that you can trust to give you cost-effective advice on the tax benefits of super
• And most importantly – you have access to strong, consistent returns

The Super Fund Co. is the perfect alternative to self-managed super funds. Contact us if you’d like to find out how it could work for you!