NEWS

There are several strategies that SMSFs should put in place before 1 July in preparation for the introduction of Division 296 tax, a legal specialist said. Bryce Figot, special counsel for DBA Lawyers, said one of the first things to do before 1 July 2026, when Div 296 begins, is “nothing”. “I don’t think anyone is going to need to majorly restructure. In other words, don’t just do something. Stand there. I know under the previous iteration, people were really talking about w

SMSF adoption of crypto is expected to increase in the coming years due to a convergence of demographic, behavioural and structural shifts, a crypto expert said. Justin Arzadon, director of adviser services at Betashares, said the uptake of crypto currencies is due to several factors, the first of which is the growing appetite of SMSF trustees for non-traditional assets. “Portfolios are diversifying beyond shares and property into alternatives that offer different risk and re

In the wake of the Shield and First Guardian collapses, the government is seeking to bring greater oversight to the governance of managed investment schemes, including expanding ASIC’s powers. On Tuesday morning, Financial Services Minister Daniel Mulino announced the consultation, with a range of other consultations aimed at improving consumer protections following the Shield and First Guardian scandal set to be released in the coming weeks. “Thousands of Australians lost th