Investment Strategies destroy the red tape reduction strategy

For well over 10 years now various Governments have put forward the concept of reducing administrative red tape for SMSFs whilst at the same time progressively increasing obligations surrounding formulating and giving effect to a fund’s investment strategy. During the 2019/20 Financial Year we saw the ATO reaching out to certain SMSFs with single asset strategies as well as releasing their most comprehensive guide to the considerations of an investment strategy. Whether it be insurance considerations, future retirement income covenants, best financial interest or asset benchmarking, the SMSF industry has come a long way since the early ATO carefree attitude towards what an investment strategy should look like. Whether it is ATO or auditor scrutiny, now more than ever SMSF trustees need to understand that the investment strategy is their ultimate guide to “how do I achieve what I want in retirement” and importantly it’s an ongoing work in progress not set and forget.

This webinar will identify all the key considerations of an investment strategy incorporating the expected and unexpected lifecycle events that may occur during the life of a fund. With one eye always on liquidity the session will also delve into the legislative requirements that all funds must contemplate from establishment through to benefit payment stage so that no fund can operate under misguided compliance advice.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this webinar, participants will understand:
• The function of a fund’s investment strategy
• How 2020 provided the timely reminder of maintaining appropriate liquidity
• How an ineffective/inappropriate investment strategy can lead to multiple compliance issues
• That off the shelf investment strategies probably don’t pass the smell test