Any landlord will tell you that having your rental property vacant and bringing in no rent is one of their worst nightmares. So for many investors a rental property backed by a government commitment to secure a rental income for 10 years plus up to $8600 a year sounds like a dream come true.
The corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, has recommended more stringent regulation of financial planners to increase protection for retail investors, in the wake of recent collapses including financial planner Storm Financial, broker Opes Prime, agribusiness operators Great Southern and Timbercorp, and corporates such as ABC Learning, Allco and Babcock & Brown.
© AAP 2009" target="_blank" style="font-weight:bold;">Australian super admin costs 'may fall'
Lowering administrative costs and the improved disclosure of fees to enhance competition should be the focus of the superannuation industry, a study finds.
Superannuation funds have posted a fifth straight month of gains in July and have begun recovering losses caused by the global financial crisis, a report says.
Given the heavy falls in the share market over the last 18 months or so, most people looking at their superannuation balances would be depressed by the losses shown, but they should be looking past these to make sure they are taking advantage of other opportunities.
The question of how impartial a financial planner can be if they are paid commission by the product provider has long been a bone of contention. That’s why Money for one has championed fee-for-service planners. It appears the Financial Planning Association (FPA) has come to that way of thinking as well, announcing it is recommending that by 2012 fee-based remuneration will be the standard.
With super returns plummeting the last thing many people want is to put in even more money. But Aussies earning less than $60,342 should definitely consider making their own personal contributions to benefit from the government’s co-contribution.
Many Australians are letting their retirement nest eggs dwindle because they are paying unnecessary fees on $13 billion of `lost' superannuation accounts.
Investors need to take care using gearing – and look more closely at how and where their superannuation is invested.
If you planned on retiring soon but dismal super returns mean you have to work longer, it’s not all bad news. If you keep working past retirement age there might be a bonus for you in the form of the Pension Bonus Scheme (PBS).