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It feels like the investment world has been listening to the Hedgehoppers Anonymous 1965 song lately; where good news is bad and vice versa. One can be forgiven for having to ponder why investment markets have moved in unexpected directions this year. I’ve seen equities rise on news that we’re going into a recession and defensive investments being sold off because a recession isn’t happening quickly enough. Isn’t a recession bad? Don’t shares fall and bonds rise on bad news? Well, maybe, but it’s only part of the picture…
Division 293 tax is an additional tax on super contributions for higher-income earners. For first-time recipients of a Div. 293 notice from the ATO, it can come as a surprise. Super contributions such as employer contributions and salary sacrifice are taxed within your super fund at 15%. Introduced in July 2012, Div. 293 tax is an additional 15% tax for individuals with income greater than $250,000 a year. The tax is payable in addition to the standard 15% contributions tax and rather than being paid automatically by your super fund, most people learn of their Div 293 tax liability after receiving a bill from the ATO.
During our recent radio show on 5AA (every second Thursday at 3pm), we outlined some of the implications of extending work beyond 67 on the Age Pension. The day after purchasing a coffee, I overheard a group of workers discussing the radio show. Whilst it was heartening to hear, the person leading the talk was instructing his companions on the specific course of action they should adopt. Regrettably, his recommendations were based on his own circumstances.
The lump sum that you pay for your room (known as the Refundable Accommodation Deposit or RAD) comes back to your estate when you pass away. If you have paid a lump sum for your room in a residential care facility, you give up access to this money whilst you are in care, but these funds remain part of your estate which can be left to your beneficiaries. The full amount is refundable (unless you have allowed any ongoing care fees to be deducted instead of paying these costs via your bank account).
When retirement is on the horizon, things often start to get a bit easier financially. Your mortgage might be paid off or almost paid off, and you have no more school fees to worry about. Plus, if you're earning a healthy income, it's the perfect opportunity to ramp up your savings for the future. But, as most of us are all too aware, women often end up with less in their super accounts compared to men, and on top of that, they tend to live longer. These factors can really mess up your retirement plans.
As we enter a new financial year, people may find that they have inadvertently exceeded their concessional super contribution limits. We discuss what to consider if you find yourself in this situation. Excess concessional contributions occur when an individual exceeds their contributions cap for the year. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) assesses two key sources of information to determine if this limit has been surpassed: super contributions reported by your super fund and deduction for personal contributions stated in your tax return.

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Latest insights

Australia’s superannuation system has achieved significant growth, with assets increasing from $150 billion in 1992 to over $4 trillion today, and projections estimating it could reach $9 trillion by 2040. This growth has positioned the system as one of the largest pension pools globally. Over the past 20 years, regulatory efforts have encouraged consolidation, reducing the number of funds by 93%. This has led to the emergence of large-scale funds that now dominate the sector, controlling over half of its assets.
Are your investments well diversified? Do they align with your personal risk profile? Do they cleverly optimise risk and return? Are you a believer that time in the market beats timing the market?