Take control of your super — carefully.
A self-managed super fund can offer more control over your investments, retirement strategy, and structure — but it also carries legal, compliance, and administration responsibilities that aren't right for everyone.
We help you understand whether an SMSF may suit your goals, what the responsibilities really involve, and how it could fit with the rest of your financial plan before you commit.
SMSF advice for Australians who want to understand whether self-managed super may suit their goals.
An SMSF is a super fund you manage yourself, with up to six members who are usually also the trustees. As a trustee, you take on legal, investment, compliance, and administration duties for the fund — duties regulated by the ATO.
SMSFs can give you a wider investment universe, including direct shares, managed funds, term deposits, and in some cases direct property. They aren't always cost-effective at smaller balances, and they aren't a shortcut to better returns.
An SMSF may be worth considering when you want genuine investment control, when your situation is complex enough to justify the structure, or when you want to coordinate super with business, family, or property planning. We help you weigh the trade-offs honestly.
An SMSF is a long-term commitment, not a shortcut.
Setting up an SMSF can affect your retirement, investments, tax, compliance, and family wealth for decades. The right advice helps you understand both the upside and the responsibilities before you commit.
- 01
Compliance is non-negotiable
SMSFs are regulated by the ATO and must meet sole-purpose, contribution, investment, and reporting rules. Breaches can attract significant penalties, so ongoing compliance is essential.
- 02
Investment strategy is mandatory
Trustees are required to have a documented investment strategy that considers risk, return, diversification, liquidity, and member insurance — and it must be reviewed regularly.
- 03
Costs need scale
SMSFs carry setup, accounting, audit, and advice fees. At smaller balances they may not be cost-effective compared to a low-fee retail or industry fund.
- 04
Trustee duties are real
Trustees are personally responsible for the fund. Decisions, records, and member transactions all need to be documented and run at arm's length from personal finances.
- 05
Property and gearing rules
Holding property or borrowing inside super is possible but tightly regulated. Limited recourse borrowing arrangements need careful structuring and specialist advice.
- 06
Pension phase planning
Moving an SMSF into pension phase has rules around minimum drawdowns, transfer balance caps, segregation, and tax — all of which need ongoing review.
Practical SMSF advice from setup to retirement.
SMSFs touch tax, super, investments, and estate planning all at once. We help you decide whether one is appropriate, and if it is, how to run it well.
Suitability assessment
We work through your balance, goals, time available, investment preferences, and family situation to consider whether an SMSF is appropriate before any setup.
SMSF setup considerations
Where an SMSF is suitable, we coordinate with specialists on trust deed, trustee structure, ABN/TFN registration, bank accounts, and rollovers from existing funds.
Investment strategy
We help trustees document an investment strategy that reflects member goals, risk profile, liquidity needs, diversification, and insurance considerations.
Contribution and pension planning
We help you consider concessional and non-concessional contributions, caps, bring-forward rules, and the move to pension phase as members approach retirement.
Compliance and reporting coordination
We work alongside your accountant and auditor to keep annual reporting, minutes, valuations, and ATO obligations on track each year.
Property in super considerations
If property is part of your strategy, we help you understand the rules around direct property, related-party transactions, and limited recourse borrowing arrangements.
Wondering if an SMSF is right for you?
An SMSF strategy review can help you understand whether the costs, responsibilities, and control match your situation — before you commit to setting one up.
- Review your current super position and balance
- Consider whether an SMSF may be appropriate for your goals
- Understand the costs, responsibilities, and time involved
- Explore investment options inside and outside an SMSF
- Coordinate SMSF with tax, property, and retirement plans
- Identify when specialist tax or legal advice is needed
We respond within three business hours. No obligation, no paperwork.
An SMSF can suit some — but not everyone.
An SMSF can be a powerful structure when the balance, complexity, and member commitment are all there. It can also become an expensive distraction when those conditions aren't met.
We help you weigh the realistic trade-offs — costs, responsibilities, time, and control — against what a quality retail or industry fund could already do for you, so the decision is made on facts rather than appeal.
- Balance size that supports SMSF costs over time
- Willingness and time to take on trustee duties
- Specific investment goals a public fund can't meet
- Family or estate complexity that may benefit from the structure
- Business interests, property, or related-party considerations
- Couples or families looking to pool super where appropriate
- Comfort with ongoing compliance, reporting, and review
SMSF advice for clients with specific needs.
SMSFs aren't a default recommendation — they're a structure for situations where the control, complexity, or strategy genuinely warrants it.
Business Owners
Coordinate super with business cash flow, contribution timing, asset protection, and longer-term succession or sale planning.
High-Net-Worth Families
Pool family super where appropriate and consider how SMSF strategy fits with broader investment, tax, and estate planning.
Pre-Retirees with Significant Super
Review whether an SMSF could support contribution strategy, pension phase planning, and retirement income in the final years before retirement.
Property-Focused Investors
Consider the rules, structure, and risks around holding direct property or limited recourse borrowing inside super.
Couples Pooling Super
Combine eligible balances under one fund and review whether shared investment and pension strategy could simplify long-term planning.
Existing SMSF Trustees
Review your current investment strategy, costs, structure, and pension plans to make sure your SMSF still suits where you're heading.
Frequently asked questions about SMSF advice.
Quick answers to the questions we hear most often. If yours isn't here, we'll cover it on the call.
An SMSF is a self-managed super fund — a private super fund you run yourself, with up to six members who are usually also the trustees. Trustees are responsible for the fund's investment decisions, compliance, and administration, and the fund is regulated by the ATO.
Most Australian adults can set up an SMSF, but it isn't suitable for everyone. The decision should consider your balance, goals, time, investment preferences, family situation, and willingness to take on trustee duties. Specialist advice is recommended.
Trustees are legally responsible for running the fund in line with super and tax law. That includes maintaining a documented investment strategy, keeping records, lodging annual returns, arranging an independent audit, and acting in the best interests of members at all times.
An SMSF can make sense when you want genuine investment control, when your situation is complex enough to justify the structure, or when you want to coordinate super with business, property, or family planning. It is rarely the right answer for small balances or for people who simply want better returns.
There's no legal minimum, but SMSFs carry setup, accounting, audit, and advice costs that need to be weighed against equivalent fees in retail or industry funds. Many advisers and the ATO suggest the structure becomes more cost-competitive at higher balances. Personal advice is essential.
Direct property can be held in an SMSF, but the rules are strict. The property must meet the sole purpose test, generally cannot be used personally, and related-party transactions are tightly regulated. Specialist tax and legal advice is required before proceeding.
SMSFs can borrow under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA), most often to acquire property. These arrangements involve specific structuring, lender requirements, and ongoing compliance. They aren't suitable for every fund and need careful, specialist advice.
When members reach a condition of release, an SMSF can move some or all of the fund into pension phase. There are rules around minimum drawdowns, transfer balance caps, segregation, and tax treatment that need ongoing planning to get right.
Decide on an SMSF with clear advice.
Start with a conversation about your goals, balance, and situation — and walk away knowing whether an SMSF is genuinely the right fit before any setup.
Know what to review before setting up an SMSF.
A practical checklist covering suitability, costs, trustee responsibilities, investment strategy, and pension considerations. We'll walk it through with you on the call.
- Balance, costs, and ongoing fees compared to your current fund
- Trustee responsibilities and time commitment
- Investment strategy, diversification, and insurance considerations
- Property, gearing, and related-party considerations
- Pension phase, contribution caps, and retirement timing
“An SMSF can give you more control over your super — but only if the cost, responsibility, and complexity match your situation. Good advice helps you decide before you commit.”