The months seem to fly past in a blink of an eye with another new financial year on the horizon again – it’s almost another financial year gone!  

Almost every year we see dramatic changes to our superannuation system, interest rates, the stock market and the property market.

All of this emphasises the need for regular reviews of your financial strategy and your investment portfolio. A full review should take place on an annual basis and cover such topics as:

• Have your financial objectives changed as a result of changed business, job or family circumstances?
• Are you on course to achieving your objectives in the planned time frame or are adjustments needed?
• Has there been new legislation or taxation changes which you need to factor into your plan?
• How have your investments performed and are they appropriate for current market conditions, or would you benefit from rebalancing your portfolio?
• Are you adequately protected against changing financial and personal risks?

If you’re looking after your own investments, it might be time to ask a professional adviser to take a look at your strategy and portfolio to ensure it’s continuing to meet your changing needs now and into the future.

Call (02) 4926 2300 or email us. 

P;ease contact the team at Leenane Templeton to discuss having a financial review and how we can help you! 

The post When was your last financial review? appeared first on Newcastle Financial Planners & Financial Advisors.

Knowing exactly what needs to be considered before getting your asset allocation right inside (or outside!) a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) is not just a smart move in terms of obeying strict SMSF regulations. It is also a fantastic exercise in developing a broader investment discipline.

No matter your age, gender, risk profile, objective or income, for every investor there is a single golden rule–diversify. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a diversified investment portfolio is likely a safer one, as it will potentially weather storms in a more balanced fashion than a portfolio that is heavy with one specific asset or asset class.

Members of SMSFs are required by regulation to consider the diversification of their fund’s portfolio. The law insists that SMSF members put in place an investment strategy that considers diversification (among other factors) and review it on a regular basis. Then members must ensure their fund’s asset mix matches their investment strategy document.

But what should this consideration involve before such a document is written? How does an SMSF member, or anybody with an interest in the responsible and reasoned diversification of their portfolio, ensure they are asking the right questions of their own risk appetites and resulting asset class percentages?

Each SMSF member or investor will have different reasons for diversifying. For some it will be for greater chances of balancing risk and return in turbulent markets. For others it will be to take advantage of opportunities in various geographical locations. Some will diversify because of the varying time requirements of particular asset classes, holding some asset classes for longer than others and constantly re-balancing.

How do you figure out your own risk profile? Seek professional advice for an in-depth analysis, but it has a great deal to do with your stage of life, and therefore how much time you can afford to wait out the various ups and downs of the market. It also involves other considerations. How much do you have to invest and how regularly? How do you feel about seeing your portfolio fluctuating in value? What are your individual tax circumstances?

Regulations specific to SMSFs outline the fact that you must show consideration to five essential points before writing your investment strategy. These are:

1 Consider the risk and likely return from the fund’s investments taking into account the member’s needs and circumstances.
2 Consider the solvency of your fund. In other words, can it afford to pay benefits to members when required, and pay its own bills such as auditing, accounting and legal?
3 Analyse the role and level of diversification in your fund. What is its purpose? What are the risks if there is inadequate diversification?
4 Analyse the level of liquidity of the fund’s assets, and the role and purpose of this liquidity.
5 Is there insurance for members within the fund? You must be able to prove that you have at least considered whether the fund should hold insurance for SMSF members.

In the world of Australian SMSFs, cash and shares are the front runners, with both typically making up around 30% each of an average fund’s total assets.1 Property, including commercial and residential, takes third place with an average of less than 20% of each fund’s value.

There are several other asset classes that can be considered for ownership within SMSFs, and it is a good idea to seek professional advice on exactly what is and is not allowed. Listed property trusts, foreign property and managed funds tend to be accepted. Artworks, precious metals and vintage cars etc may also be allowed, but professional advice should be sought before purchase. More complicated financial vehicles such as warrants and derivatives also require special advice.

Interestingly, in certain situations if you currently own your business’s commercial property, then the SMSF can buy the property from you under a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement at market value, then you rent it back from the fund. This may mean lower tax on rental income and eventual capital gains tax on sale, compared with holding the property outside of super.

There are many very specific rules and regulations for assets held within an SMSF. For instance, if an investment benefits you at all now, instead of after retirement, then it is unlikely to be allowed in your SMSF. Please seek professional advice as penalties can be serious. Don’t just assume you can make your holiday house a part of your SMSF.

Examples where you may breach superannuation investment rules include:

1. Expensive artworks that are held as an investment inside your SMSF cannot be kept hanging on your walls at home, but instead must be stored in a reputable art storage facility and must also be insured.
2. Staying in an investment property, or allowing friends or relatives to stay in the property, is also a big no-no if that property is held within an SMSF.
3. Market value must be paid for everything held within an SMSF, meaning all transactions must occur at arm’s length. You can’t make a purchase from a family member at mate’s rates. If it is difficult to avoid such a clash, please seek professional advice.

If you wish to discuss SMSF diversification further, please contact our expert and award winning SMSF advisors. 

Call (02) 4926 2300 or email us here at Leenane Templeton.

The post SMSF: How and why to diversify appeared first on Newcastle Financial Planners & Financial Advisors.

Compounding isn’t a new concept – many of us will remember studying it back in our school days. Legendary scientist Albert Einstein famously called it ‘the most powerful force in the universe’, while American business magnate John D Rockefeller suggested compounding is the ‘eighth wonder of the world’.

These might sound like bold claims, but the power of compounding on an investment portfolio should certainly not be underestimated.

What is compounding?

In simple terms, compounding is the process whereby returns made on an investment are reinvested in order to generate subsequent returns of their own.

The concept of compounding is best illustrated using an example. Twins Annie and Vanessa both allocated $10,000 to the same interest-bearing investment on their 25th birthday. For simplicity, let’s assume the investment pays interest of 5% per year.

Annie reinvests all of her interest every year, while Vanessa banks the $500 each year and spends it on everyday living expenses. Let’s see how their investments had fared by their 45th birthdays.

Vanessa earned $500 interest each and every year for the 20 year period – a total of $10,000. Of course she still had her original $10,000 investment as well.

Annie, on the other hand, saw her investment grow to more than $26,000 by reinvesting her interest. The additional $6,000 she earned over and above Vanessa highlights the power of compounding. You can see from the table that Annie’s investment is now earning her $1,263 per year, while Vanessa’s investment is still earning her only $500. This differential would continue to grow over time if the sisters remained invested. 

Make compounding work even harder for you

The power of compounding can be magnified if you make small regular contributions to your investment. Let’s look at another example to highlight the concept.

Brothers Jim, Dan and Tom all decided to invest $10,000 in the same managed fund for 10 years. Over that time the fund returned an average of 8% pa.

Happy with his original investment decision, Jim did not make any additional contributions. Dan, the wiser brother, understood the effects of compounding and made additional regular savings of $100 per month. Tom – the wisest of them all – worked out he could afford to save an extra $200 per month and made sure he always contributed that amount to his investment. The difference in their investment returns over 10 years is startling:

Of course the example is a stylised one. It ignores potential fluctuations in investment returns over the period, which would affect the three outcomes in reality.

These examples highlight how compounding and contributing regularly to an investment can have a major influence on investment performance. The long-term performance impact of compounding can be significant and must not be overlooked by investors. Perhaps Einstein and Rockefeller were right, after all.

Source: Colonial First State, May 2014

Disclaimer

Speak to one of our expert financial planners to see how you could be compounding and contributing regularly to your investment.
Call (02) 4926 2300 or email us.

The post The power of compounding appeared first on Newcastle Financial Planners & Financial Advisors.

Assets available to an SMSF include property, as well as shares and managed funds – however the usual superannuation rules continue to apply where the fund is purchasing an asset from a related party.

Some SMSF borrowing strategies

There are a number of strategies that enable individuals to take advantage of the rules.

Increasing the asset base.

Contributions rules place a limit on the amount of contributions that may be contributed to a fund. In addition, an investment in the SMSF borrowing arrangement is generally accounted for as net of liabilities. Where members are in a position to contribute assets such as property or shares this has the effect of enhancing SMSF borrowing.

Increased contributions.

Members may be able to transfer assets that they own into a fund, taking advantage of the borrowing rules. Members are then able to act as Trustee of the borrowing trust as well as the lender. The repayments made by the SMSF may then be contributed back into the fund by the member under the normal contribution rules.

Costs of finance

Financial products are readily available by lenders to take advantage of the rules allowing funds to borrow for investing.These products take into account the rules that only allow a loan to be secured against the investment it is funding, not total fund assets.

As a result of the higher risk profile, loans may attract a higher interest rate and require a deposit significantly higher than usually occurs with other standard investment loans. Trustees need to factor these risks and costs into their borrowing strategy.

The loan and the lender

SMSFs are able to use anybody as a lender, that is, they are able to obtain the loan from a bank, or other lending institutions, a member themselves, their business, a family member, company or trust. However while the law does not prevent the lender from being a related party, SMSFs must satisfy the sole purpose test and comply with existing investment restrictions such as those applying to in-house assets and prohibitions on acquiring certain assets from a related party of the fund.

Contact Leenane Templeton's professional staff to discuss how we can help you.

The post Borrowing Strategies for a SMSF appeared first on Newcastle Financial Planners & Financial Advisors.