Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages of a self-managed super fund

Typically, people establish a self-managed super fund for one or more of the following reasons:

• Greater capacity for incorporating superannuation into a holistic financial plan
• Greater control over a wider range of investments
• Greater control over tax management
• Speedier response in administration actions
• More effective estate planning
• Reduced costs in investment and administration
• Satisfaction of having their own fund that they operate.

Disadvantages of a self-managed super fund

Strict laws govern the super industry.  Violation of these laws could mean the loss of tax concessions and a risk of incurring both tax and criminal penalties.  Regular changes in legislation mean that the trustees of SMSF’s must be careful to ensure that they comply with all regulatory requirements at all times.  These legal requirements coupled with the responsibility of investing the superannuation fund’s money and its day-to-day running, means that an SMSF is not for everyone.