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Home / Author: Meg Heffron

Meg Heffron

Meg on SMSFs: Is it better to wait until July to start your pension?

The 'transfer balance cap' will increase to $1.9 million from 1st July, but only those who don't start pensions until then will get the full increase. Many retirees are wondering if they should wait to start pensions in their SMSFs.

Meg on SMSFs: Would a limit on fund size make sense?

Next year's Federal Budget might that be the time when we see something designed to break up very large SMSFs gain some traction. We run through whether such changes make sense and look for potential alternatives.

Meg on the Federal Budget: what's changed with super?

The Federal Budget may not have been the most exciting, but it's got a number of implications for superannuation. Here's a summary of what was included and excluded, as well as what was new and what wasn't.

Meg on SMSFs: when should I get rid of my SMSF?

Most people will face the decision whether to close their SMSF due to downsides of multiple generations in the same SMSF, tax reasons to move money from super and after the death of a more active member.

Meg on SMSFs: my own reasons for early SMSF establishment

In response to a previous article on delaying establishing an SMSF, Meg explains why she started early, long before she began in the SMSF industry. Anyone who expects to build a decent super balance should think ahead.

Meg on SMSFs: pensions and the power of partial commutations

Why does it matter what sort of payment is taken from a superannuation account? It makes sense to run down an accumulation account rather than a pension account, but what about using a 'partial commutation'.

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Looking beyond banks for dividend income

The Big Four banks have had an extraordinary run and it’s left income investors with a conundrum: to stick with them even though they now offer relatively low dividend yields and limited growth prospects or to look elsewhere.

Exchange traded products

AFIC on its record discount, passive investing and pricey stocks

A triple headwind has seen Australia's biggest LIC swing to a 10% discount and scuppered its relative performance. Management was bullish in an interview with Firstlinks, but is the discount ever likely to close?

Superannuation

Hidden fees are a super problem

Most Australians don’t realise they are being charged up to six different types of fees on their superannuation. These fees can be opaque and hard to compare across different funds and investment options.

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ASX large cap outlook for 2025

Economic growth in Australia looks to have bottomed, which means it makes sense to selectively add to cyclical exposures on the ASX in addition to key thematics like decarbonisation and technological change.

Property

Taking advantage of the property cycle

Understanding the property cycle can be a useful tool to make informed decisions and stay focused on long-term goals. This looks at where we are in the commercial property cycle and the potential opportunities for investors.

Investment strategies

Is this bedrock of financial theory a mirage?

The concept of an 'equity risk premium' has driven asset allocation decisions for decades. A revamped study suggests it was a relatively short-lived phenomenon rather than the mainstay many thought.

Vale Graham Hand

It’s with heavy hearts that we announce Firstlinks’ co-founder and former Managing Editor, Graham Hand, has died aged 66. Graham was a legendary figure in the finance industry and here are three tributes to him.

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