Thinking about saving and investing is one of the many steps towards financial independence. Doing these actions show that you are ready to be responsible for your finances and your future. One such scheme that can help you towards financial independence are self-managed super funds. Self-managed super funds are quite popular since these give you the autonomy to manage your super funds. Although this arrangement provides more freedom with your financial choices, it can still be quite tedious and tricky. Hence, people usually get into it after some research or have it managed through smsf software.
Let us give you some background on SMSF to know if you want to use it as a tool towards financial independence.
What is a Self-Managed Super Fund?
The purpose of superannuation funds like this is to save up for your retirement. What makes an SMSF different from other funds is that you, or a private entity, are the ones who manage the fund. However, this also means that you are responsible for all of the financial decisions related to the fund, along with its required compliances, such as tax laws.
Here are the things you should note:
-
Identify your members and trustees
An SMSF provides the option of having multiple trustees. Personal SMSFs can reach up to four, and that already includes you. The trustees are the ones who will be the beneficiaries of the fund. But if you choose to include trustees, bear in mind that all of the fund’s financial decisions should be unanimously decided by the trustees. If a financial decision is not consistent between the trustees, then your fund may incur some penalties.
-
Creating and maintaining an SMSF requires focus
Setting up an SMSF requires you to fill up various forms since you have to follow some relatively tedious steps. You have to finalise your members and trustees, create a trust and a trust deed, register under the Australian Taxation Office. Then you have to devise a plan for the fund’s investment strategy and end goal. You need to make sure that you are willing to provide the time and effort to maintain and manage the fund since you have to continually check your documents, provide yearly reports, check with the laws, and review your investment strategy.
-
Hire professionals
Note that most of the processes for creating and maintaining a superfund are quite administrative. For this, you can hire specific professionals, like auditors and actuaries, to do the job for you. You may also consult financial advisors concerning your investment strategies.
Keep in mind that even with professional help, all financial decisions and documentations will still be under you, which is why some SMSF owners, whether personal or corporate, are still adamant in managing their funds by themselves or are reluctant to hire from a third-party. Hence, they usually use SMSF software to make the job more convenient.
Conclusion
The road towards financial security and independence can be an uphill battle. It takes a lot of time and effort to both create and manage it. However, Self-Managed Super Funds can be a great way to have a financially-secure future, especially if you are willing to understand and commit to its processes.
