Newsletter - Winter 2017

In recent times, Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSF) have become very popular and, for many investors, they represent an excellent vehicle to manage their retirement assets.

It is my belief that for many Australian’s who have an SMSF, it is not the most appropriate structure. Truth be known, often the person recommending the fund benefits greatly.  As a financial planner, a SMSF client is gold as they are generally high revenue clients.  The same applies for accountants and those involved with property investment, we are all incentivised to recommend an SMSF. Is this best for the client? Often the answer is yes, it is a great option, however, in a lot of other situations, I’m less confident that an SMSF is appropriate. 

Recently, one of our young staff members attended an Eminem concert; she described it as one of the best nights of her life. The cost of going to see Eminem for a young person is a lot! However, she had one of the best times of her life, so undoubtedly this was money well spent.

When considering a budget, people automatically think it’s about spending less. Forming a budget isn’t about spending less, it is about directing your income to the things that are most important to you. Attending a concert is far from an essential cost, but if you get a lot of enjoyment from it, then it is meaningful spending. At Future Financial Services, the essence of what we do in this area is to direct as much of your income as possible to meaningful spending and reducing spending that adds nothing to your life.