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31 December 2024
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This is your Quick Reference Guide for the year’s important facts and figures. It includes what you need to know on personal tax rates and offsets, as well as super contributions, caps, benefits, and thresholds.
Rules for eligibility to contribute to super are simple but there are conditions regarding accessing the bring forward rule that may result in unintended tax consequences. Here's an overview of everything you need to know.
Few people have been closer to superannuation policy over the years than Noel Whittaker, especially when he established his eponymous financial planning business. He takes us on a quick guided tour.
Josh Frydenberg's third budget contained changes to superannuation and other rules but their effective date is expected to be 1 July 2022. Take care not to confuse them with changes due on 1 July 2021.
The timing of lodging a notice of intent to claim a tax deduction on super contributions and making partial rollovers or withdrawals can make a big difference to the amount allowed to be claimed.
The government’s early access to super scheme may reduce short-term financial stress for some, but members must understand how much tapping retirement savings will erode savings in later life.
Parliament is not expected to sit until August, and the anticipated new super laws for contributions by people aged 65 and 66 may not pass. Only act on the proposals if the new law is actually passed.
While these findings are controversial and have already been attacked by the super industry, research suggests superannuation may not be the best long-term savings vehicle for everyone.
It has become more difficult to build large superannuation balances with contribution caps and more people paying off home loans for longer. How can wealthy parents help their adult children?
Understanding the new work test exemption rules may enable individuals to maximise their contributions to super and thus their tax effective retirement savings.
Three weeks to go before the EOFY is still enough time to comply with the rules and make the most of superannuation and income tax opportunities. Here's a quick checklist.
The extra 15% Division 293 tax slips easily under the radar, and most people do not realise how it is calculated and how the proposed Labor policy might now capture them.
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.
Last year, I wrote an article suggesting returns from ASX stocks would trample those from housing over the next decade. One year later, this is an update on how that forecast is going and what's changed since.
The Future Fund's original purpose was to meet the unfunded liabilities of Commonwealth defined benefit schemes. These liabilities have ballooned to an estimated $290 billion and taxpayers continue to be treated like fools.
ASFA provides a key guide for how much you will need to live on in retirement. Unfortunately it has many deficiencies, and the averages don't tell the full story of the growing gender superannuation gap.
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.
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?