Superannuation

When can I put money into super?

When can I take money out of super?

Tax on withdrawals

Tax on Death

• Tax-free to a spouse or dependent child.
  
• 15% or 30% tax to non dependents (depending on taxable components within super).

What else can my super do for me?

• Pays you a retirement income stream after retirement – tax-free after age 60.
  
• Can include Death and Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) Insurance to protect you and your loved ones.
• Can include income protection insurance to cover up to 75% of your income if ill or injured and help maintain your lifestyle.
• Can pay a tax-effective pension to your children in the event of your death.
• You may be eligible for a government co-contribution if making personal contributions and earning < $48,516.
• You may be able to pay off your mortgage faster with salary sacrifice contributions into super!

Types of Superannuation Funds

MySuper – MySuper is a new type of account that is offered by many superannuation funds. This fund will eventually replace existing default accounts offered by employer super funds (chosen by your employer if you didn’t choose one).  MySuper offers lower fees, simple features (pay for what you want) and single or life stage investment options. These accounts are offered by retail, industry and corporate funds, but it will only be available for accumulation funds and not for defined benefit funds.

Retail Funds – Retail funds often have a large number of investment options and are usually recommended by financial advisers who may be paid for their advice by fees or a commission. These funds are easily accessible as anyone can join and are usually run by banks or investment companies. Retail funds are accumulative and range from mid to high cost, however some of these retail funds offer low cost or MySuper alternatives.

Industry Funds – Industry funds are not as easily accessible as retail funds because some of these funds are restricted to employees in a particular industry. However, some of the larger industry super funds are open for anyone to join. Most of these funds are accumulation funds, but a few older funds have defined benefit members. There are usually 5-15 investment options within these funds, which is sufficient to meet most people’s needs. Industry funds are generally low to mid cost funds although some have higher fees. All of the profits received from this fund are put back into the fund for the benefit of all members, as it is ‘not for profit’.

Public Sector Funds – Public sector funds are created for employees of Federal and State government departments and are mostly exclusive to government employees. These funds provide a modest range of investment choices and they generally have very low fees, while some also offer MySuper accounts. New members are usually in an accumulation fund while other long term members have defined benefit schemes. The profits are put back into the fund to benefit all members.

Corporate Funds – Corporate funds are arranged by an employer for its employees. Some of the larger corporate funds are employer sponsored funds, where employers operate the fund under a board of trustees appointed by the employees and employees. While other corporate funds are operated by a large industry super or retail funds. Corporate funds that are run by retail companies will usually retain some profits whereas the funds run by employers will return all the profits to its members. These funds will generally have a low to mid range cost structure for large employers, but may charge a higher cost for small employers. Most of these funds will have accumulation fund members while some older corporate funds may also have defined benefit members. There is usually a wide range of investments options if the fund is managed by a retail or industry fund.

Eligible Rollover Funds – An Eligible Rollover Fund (ERF) is a holding account for lost or inactive members with low account balances. These funds often  charge higher fees with low investment returns. If you consolidate your ERF with an active super fund, your money is likely to grow faster.

Self-Managed Super Funds – Some people want the hands-on control that comes with having their own self-managed super fund (SMSF). With added control also comes added responsibility and workload. SMSFs can be suitable for people with a larger amount of super and solid skills in financial and legal matters. You must be prepared to research and monitor your super investments regularly if you want to manage them yourself effectively.

Setting up a SMSF involves abiding by strict rules regulated by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). An SMSF can have between one to four members. Each member is a trustee (or director if there is a corporate trustee). Running your own fund is complex.