The benefits of your own SMSF

More control – Unlike regular industry or retail funds, if you’re not happy with how any individual investment is performing, you can change it or if something is doing incredibly well you can increase your investment.

Tax benefits – If you’ve invested in assets outside of super, upon selling (or realising) your asset, you’ll most likely be required to pay Capital Gains Tax. Super earnings on the other hand are taxed at only 15% and under certain conditions can be taken out tax-free once you’ve retired.

Greater investment choice and flexibility – Unlike institutional or industry funds, you can invest in just about anything. That can mean land, commercial or residential property, an outback or seaside cottage, art or even expensive jewellery, quite literally anything at all as long as it’s in line with your investment strategy and it complies with the ATO’s arms-length rules (you or your family can’t live in the property, have the art on your walls or wear the jewellery).

Fees that decrease proportionately – SMSFs can be cheaper to own than ‘retail’ or institutional/industry funds as these usually have costs allocated as a percentage of assets under management. SMSFs have a fixed cost, which as your asset base increases, the costs, as a percentage of your asset value decreases.

Unique strategies – SMSFs are the only place where you can borrow (or use gearing) to purchase assets such as property. This is not currently available to retail or industry funds. It means you can build your asset base from a property portfolio quicker and potentially reduce your exposure in any one area or property category.

There are also added benefits if you own a business that requires a rental property from which to trade.

 Protection against creditors – Should you or any of the members of your SMSF be declared bankrupt

 Build an ongoing family legacy – Once you’ve set up your SMSF, you can pass the assets contained within your SMSF onto your beneficiaries without selling the assets. That way you can create an enduring family legacy that can be passed from one generation to the next with minimal disruption. This benefit is only available for SMSFs and does not exist within regular retail funds, where the asset has to be converted to cash before being passed on.

Need more information? Check Is an SMSF right for you?

Want to talk in more detail? Give Kerry a call on 6023 1700.