Investment decisions
Trustees decide how the fund is invested and need an investment strategy that reflects the members, their retirement goals, risk, liquidity and the overall structure of the fund.
SMSF Financial Advice · Toowoomba + Australia-Wide
SMSF financial advice: keep the control, without losing sight of retirement.
A self-managed super fund can give you greater control over how your retirement savings are invested, but it also brings ongoing trustee responsibilities. We help you connect your SMSF investment, retirement and pension strategy with the life you are actually trying to fund.
Investment strategy built around the members
Direct assets considered in the bigger picture
Retirement planning without ignoring trustee obligations
Control comes with responsibility
Running an SMSF means you are not just an investor. You are also a trustee.
An SMSF can provide flexibility over investments, pensions and how retirement assets are managed. But the members are also responsible for making sure the fund continues to operate within the superannuation rules and in the interests of its members.
Retirement decisions
As retirement approaches, the SMSF may need to move from accumulating super to paying pensions and funding the members’ lifestyle.
Trustee responsibilities
Annual administration, records, investment decisions, audit, tax reporting and compliance continue even when the trustees would rather be enjoying retirement.
Your SMSF through retirement
The job of an SMSF can change as your life changes.
The structure that suited you while you were working may need to evolve as retirement gets closer, pensions begin and eventually the practical burden of managing the fund becomes more important.
Build the fund deliberately.
During the accumulation years, the focus may include contributions, investment strategy, asset allocation, cash flow and deciding whether the SMSF structure continues to make sense for the members.
- Contribution strategy
- Investment strategy
- Direct shares and managed investments
- Property and other direct assets
- Insurance considerations
- Fund costs and administration
Prepare for the move from contributions to income.
The years before retirement are an opportunity to model how the SMSF may support your future lifestyle and whether changes are needed before employment income stops.
- Retirement timing
- Pension planning
- Liquidity for future withdrawals
- Investment risk
- Cash reserves
- Large future expenses
Turn the fund into a retirement income system.
Once pensions and withdrawals begin, the fund needs to balance regular income, investment growth, liquidity and the risk of selling assets at the wrong time.
- Pension income
- Minimum payment requirements
- Cash flow and liquidity
- Investment strategy reviews
- Tax considerations
- Ongoing retirement modelling
Ask whether managing the SMSF is still worth it.
As trustees get older, the practical side of running an SMSF can become just as important as the investment side. The fund should remain manageable if health, capacity, family circumstances or the ability to deal with administration changes.
- Trustee succession
- Death and incapacity planning
- Reducing administrative complexity
- Reviewing direct and illiquid assets
- Considering whether the SMSF should continue
- Planning for future aged care needs
Bringing the pieces together
What can SMSF financial advice help with?
SMSF advice should not focus on the fund in isolation. The fund exists to support the members and their retirement, so investment, tax, pension and trustee decisions need to fit into the broader financial strategy.
SMSF Investment Strategy
Review how the fund is invested and whether the strategy reflects the members’ retirement goals, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, diversification and time horizon.
Retirement & Pensions
Plan how the SMSF may transition from accumulating retirement savings to paying pensions and funding the members’ lifestyle.
Contributions
Consider available contribution strategies in the context of each member’s circumstances, retirement timing and broader financial position.
Direct Investments
Consider direct shares, property and other investments within the overall fund strategy rather than treating each asset as a standalone decision.
Cash Flow & Liquidity
Make sure the fund can meet expenses, pension payments and member withdrawals without creating avoidable pressure to sell long-term assets at an inconvenient time.
Estate & Trustee Planning
Consider what may happen if a trustee dies, loses capacity or no longer wants to remain responsible for managing the fund.
Direct assets need extra thought
Owning property inside an SMSF can change the retirement equation.
One reason people are attracted to SMSFs is the ability to invest directly in assets such as property. But a valuable asset is not necessarily a liquid asset, and that distinction can become very important once pensions and withdrawals begin.
Look beyond the property value.
A property may form an important part of the fund, but the strategy also needs to consider rent, expenses, vacancy, maintenance, diversification and the amount of cash available elsewhere in the SMSF.
- Rental income and expenses
- Liquidity for pension payments
- Property concentration risk
- Ongoing maintenance and capital costs
- Possible future sale timing
- How the asset fits the members’ retirement needs
Control does not remove the rules.
SMSF investments need to operate within the superannuation rules. Related-party dealings, ownership, arm’s-length terms and the purpose of the investment can all require careful consideration.
- Business real property
- Direct shares
- Unlisted investments
- Ownership and valuation
- Related-party considerations
- Investment strategy requirements
A common SMSF retirement challenge
You can be asset rich and still have a cash-flow problem.
An SMSF may hold valuable property, shares or other long-term investments, but pensions and fund expenses still need to be paid in cash. As retirement approaches, liquidity becomes an important part of the investment strategy rather than an administrative afterthought.
The right balance depends on the members, the assets held by the fund and the income the SMSF needs to provide.
The administration does not retire when you do
An SMSF is a retirement structure and an ongoing legal responsibility.
Even if accountants, advisers, administrators and auditors assist with the fund, trustees remain responsible for their SMSF. That means the administrative and compliance side needs to remain manageable throughout retirement.
Investment Strategy
The fund needs an investment strategy that reflects the members and should be reviewed as circumstances change, including when members move into retirement.
Records & Administration
Trustees need appropriate records of fund transactions, investment decisions, ownership, pensions and other important fund activity.
Annual Accounts & Tax Return
Annual financial statements and the SMSF annual return need to be prepared and lodged as part of the fund’s ongoing administration.
Independent Audit
SMSFs require an annual audit by an approved SMSF auditor, covering both the financial statements and compliance obligations.
Asset Ownership & Valuation
Fund assets need to be appropriately recorded and valued, particularly where the SMSF owns direct or unlisted assets.
Trustee Decisions
Trustees remain responsible for the fund’s decisions even when professional advisers and service providers are helping with different parts of the SMSF.
Financial advice is one part of the SMSF team
A well-run SMSF often involves several professionals.
The financial adviser, accountant, tax agent, administrator, auditor and sometimes solicitor each have different roles. We help keep the financial strategy connected to the members’ retirement objectives while working alongside the other professionals involved with the fund.
Strategy and retirement.
Financial advice can cover investment strategy, retirement modelling, contributions, pensions, asset allocation and whether the SMSF continues to suit the members.
Accounts and taxation.
Your accountant or tax agent may prepare the SMSF financial statements, tax work and annual return and assist with the fund’s ongoing administration.
Independent annual audit.
The approved SMSF auditor provides the independent annual financial and compliance audit required for the fund.
SMSFs in retirement
An SMSF still needs to fund your life outside the fund.
Once you retire, the goal is not simply to own good investments. The SMSF needs to help provide the cash flow required for the life you want while remaining appropriately invested for the years ahead.
Regular Income
Plan pension payments and withdrawals around your actual household spending rather than treating them as an isolated administrative requirement.
Larger Expenses
Consider holidays, vehicles, renovations and other major spending when determining how much liquidity the SMSF may need to maintain.
Longer-Term Investment
Retirement may last decades, so the fund may still require assets positioned for longer-term growth as well as assets available for current spending.
A question worth asking regularly
Does the SMSF still make sense for you?
Having an SMSF today does not mean you need to have one forever. The fund should continue to justify its cost, complexity, responsibilities and investment structure as the members’ circumstances change.
Reasons the SMSF may still work well
- You value direct control over investments
- The fund owns assets that are difficult to hold elsewhere
- The structure remains appropriate for the members
- The costs remain reasonable for the benefits received
- The trustees are comfortable with their responsibilities
- The fund supports your retirement strategy
Reasons it may be worth reviewing
- The administration is becoming a burden
- One trustee has managed almost everything
- Health or capacity is changing
- The fund has become unnecessarily complex
- Direct assets no longer suit retirement needs
- The costs or responsibilities outweigh the benefits
Plan for the trustee, not just the investments
What happens to the SMSF if you no longer want — or are no longer able — to run it?
An SMSF can work extremely well while the trustees are engaged and capable. But a retirement strategy should also consider what happens after illness, loss of capacity, death or simply a desire to make life less complicated.
Trustee Succession
Understand who can deal with the fund if a trustee can no longer perform their role and whether the current trustee structure remains practical.
Estate Planning
SMSF benefits, nominations and trustee arrangements should be considered alongside your broader estate planning and legal advice.
Exit Planning
If the SMSF eventually becomes impractical, having a plan can make it easier to simplify investments, deal with direct assets and move toward another retirement structure.
The Wealth Factory approach
Make the SMSF serve the retirement plan — not the other way around.
We start with what the members are trying to achieve and then consider how the SMSF can support those goals. The structure, investments and pensions are tools. Your retirement is the objective.
Understand the members
We start with your current position, retirement goals, spending needs, investment preferences and the role you expect the SMSF to play.
Review the SMSF
We look at the fund’s assets, investment strategy, cash, pensions, member balances and how the structure fits into your broader financial position.
Build the retirement strategy
We consider the financial strategies that may help the SMSF support your retirement, including investments, contributions, pensions, liquidity and broader retirement income planning.
Keep reviewing it
For ongoing clients, we review the SMSF as markets, legislation, retirement spending and the members’ circumstances change.
Specialist financial advice
SMSF advice with retirement at the centre.
Wealth Factory is led by financial adviser Robert Laurie. Our focus is on helping clients understand how their SMSF fits into their broader retirement strategy and making complex financial decisions easier to understand.
Qualifications
Master of Financial Planning
Bachelor of Business
Accredited Aged Care Professional®
Bachelor of Business
Accredited Aged Care Professional®
Specialist Knowledge
SMSF, Retirement and Aged Care
Advice Available
Toowoomba + Online Australia-Wide
SMSF financial advice FAQs
Common questions about self-managed super funds.
Is an SMSF suitable for everyone?
No. An SMSF can provide greater control and flexibility, but it also involves costs, administration and legal trustee responsibilities. Whether it is appropriate depends on the members’ circumstances, objectives, assets, willingness to remain involved and the alternatives available.
Can an SMSF own investment property?
SMSFs can invest in property where the investment complies with the applicable superannuation rules and the fund’s investment strategy. Property can introduce additional issues around liquidity, diversification, ownership, related parties, valuation and the ability of the fund to meet future pension and cash-flow requirements.
Who is responsible for SMSF compliance?
The trustees are ultimately responsible for the SMSF, even when accountants, financial advisers, administrators, lawyers and auditors assist with different parts of running the fund.
Does an SMSF need an audit every year?
Yes. An SMSF requires an annual audit by an approved SMSF auditor. The audit covers the fund’s financial statements and its compliance with the relevant superannuation rules.
What happens to an SMSF when the members retire?
The SMSF can continue after retirement. Depending on the members’ circumstances, the fund may begin paying retirement pensions while continuing to hold and manage investments. The investment strategy, liquidity and administration should continue to be reviewed as the members’ needs change.
Should I keep my SMSF as I get older?
That depends on whether the SMSF continues to provide enough benefit to justify its costs, complexity and trustee responsibilities. Health, capacity, trustee succession, direct assets and how much involvement the members want in retirement can all be relevant considerations.
Can Wealth Factory work with my existing SMSF accountant?
Yes. SMSFs commonly involve several professional advisers. Wealth Factory can provide financial and retirement strategy advice while working alongside your existing accountant, tax agent, administrator, auditor and other professionals where appropriate.
Can you provide SMSF financial advice online?
Yes. Wealth Factory is based in Toowoomba and also works with clients elsewhere in Australia through online meetings and digital communication.
SMSF + retirement
See how your SMSF fits into the bigger picture.
Before Retirement
Financial Advice for Pre-Retirees
Make the final five to ten years before retirement count and prepare your finances before employment income stops.
In Retirement Financial Advice for RetireesBuild an income strategy, manage investments and make clearer financial decisions throughout retirement.
The Bigger Picture Retirement Financial AdviceSee how Wealth Factory brings superannuation, investments, income and long-term retirement planning together.
Your SMSF should make retirement work better
Make sure the fund still fits the life you are planning.
Whether you are still working, approaching retirement or already drawing an income from your SMSF, we can help you look at the investment, retirement and trustee decisions together.