Superannuation Advice
Fund your ideal post-work life with holistic super advice.
The MiQ Difference
What Makes Us Leading Superannuation Advisers?
Your super isn’t built in a vacuum.
How much you contribute, the risk profile you select, the fund you choose – it all depends on your broader financial circumstances and objectives.
That’s why the best super advice is holistic:
Designed around your long-term goals, led by your financial adviser, and with input from other finance professionals like tax specialists.
- Advice available in multiple languages incl. Mandarin & Japanese
- Holistic analysis of how an SMSF can support your financial goals
- Collaboration with external finance professionals like accountants and lawyers
Client Testimonial
“I would like to express my gratitude to Mel Chamberlain for her assistance in planning for my retirement. The process was actually enjoyable as Mel kept it uncomplicated and she is so knowledgeable and personable.
Mel’s excellent advice keeps paying dividends, and gives me absolute confidence in being prepared for my financial future.”
Debra Patterson
Brisbane
Our Superannuation Solutions
What We Do
Super Strategy
Realign Your Superannuation Strategy
Your post-work life shouldn’t be about ‘just getting by’.
And, with the right super strategy, it won’t be.
Your MiQ adviser can work with you to analyse how your super is currently performing – and make recommendations about what you can improve.
Whether you’re exploring different investment mixes or thinking about establishing an SMSF, getting holistic advice that works towards achieving your goals.
Schedule an initial consultation to find out more.
- Super contribution advice
- Tax-effective super planning
- Personalised investment strategies
SMSF Establishment
Start a New Self-Managed Super Fund
Establishing an SMSF is a big decision.
Ongoing administration costs, a heavy compliance burden, and a higher risk level mean an SMSF isn’t right for everyone.
But there are benefits too:
- Total control over how your super is invested.
- More effective tax management.
- The ability to acquire assets like commercial real estate and collectibles.
If you’re wondering whether an SMSF could be the right super pathway for you, schedule a consultation to learn more about your options.
- Advice about SMSF suitability
- Fund establishment assistance
- Fund compliance assistance
SMSF Advice
Optimise Your SMFS’s Performance
Your SMSF has two growth levers; investment performance and cost efficiency.
Choosing the right asset mix and risk level for your circumstances is critical.
But so is minimising costs – administration expenses, investment fees, tax.
And, to effectively pull on both levers, you’ll need a team; not a financial adviser working in isolation, but one who liaises with other finance professionals like tax specialists and superannuation lawyers.
This holistic approach is what makes MiQ different.
Book an initial meeting online or in person to learn more about how we can help.
- Investment strategy advice
- Coordination with other professionals like accountants, lawyers, and buyer’s advocates
- Access to exclusive products like hybrid IPOs
Your Superannuation Questions, Answered
FAQs
Anyone who holds an Australian financial services (AFS) licence can give superannuation advice. People who are authorised representatives of an AFS licensee may also give superannuation advice. Generally, only financial advisers can give super advice, although some accountants may also hold AFS licences.
Only AFS licensees or their authorised representatives can do the following:
- recommend that you acquire or dispose of an interest in an SMSF or other superannuation product
- advise you to make particular investments through an SMSF or other superannuation product
- recommend that you establish an SMSF
- advise you in relation to your retirement investment strategy
- advise you when to move superannuation benefits to different stages
- advise whether you should increase or decrease your super contributions
- advise you in relation to your overall super strategy
- provide a recommendation or statement of opinion in relation to financial products or classes of financial products.
You can generally find a company’s AFS licence number at the bottom of their website. Alternatively, you can search ASIC’s professional registers for a company or adviser’s licence number instead.
Most superannuation funds are industry, retail or public sector funds. (Some large companies may also have corporate funds for their employees.) Depending on your fund, you may be able to change your risk tolerance and investment mix, but the investments themselves will be made by professional investment managers employed by your fund.
Self-managed super funds (SMSFs), on the other hand, are private super funds that can only have up to six members. SMSFs are established as trusts, which means they have trust deeds and trustees; you and the other fund members can choose whether you want an individual trustee or a corporate trustee structure.
One of the main benefits of an SMSF is that, because it’s privately managed, you and your fellow members have total control over how funds are invested. You can also invest in a greater diversity of asset classes, including real estate and collectibles.
On the other hand, though, SMSFs are expensive, risky, and come with a high compliance burden. All members are legally responsible for the fund’s compliance and decisions, even if there’s a corporate trustee in place. You’ll also need to pay someone to set up your SMSF, and, unless you’re an experienced investor, provide you with investment advice.
If you’re interested in the idea of having an SMSF, talk to your financial adviser. They can explain the pros and cons, model whether an SMSF is more cost-effective than a different kind of fund, help you develop an investment strategy, and support you with setup and compliance.
According to ASFA, you’ll need $595,000 to retire comfortably as a single person at 65. Couples need just $690,000 between them to achieve a comfortable retirement. (A comfortable retirement is one that allows you to maintain a good standard of living – good healthcare, occasional meals out, leisure activities, a reliable car, and a well-maintained home.)
Your Age | Approximate Super Balance for a Comfortable Retirement |
27 | $41,500 |
37 | $133,000 |
47 | $252,000 |
57 | $415,500 |
67 | $595,000 |
If you have $100,000 in super at retirement (as a single person or as a couple), you can maintain a modest post-work lifestyle – basic healthcare, an older vehicle, limited takeout meals, and so on. Your super income will be supplemented by the Age Pension, so you won’t need as much as someone living a comfortable retirement.
Keep in mind that, if your super isn’t currently on track, you still have plenty of options. Your financial adviser can help you do things like adjust your super strategy and increase your concessional contributions, which can improve your balance over time.
If you still have super when you die, your super fund will pay out the remaining amount to your beneficiaries (known as a ‘super death benefit’). Depending on the rules of your fund, you can nominate who gets your super through either:
- a non-binding nomination (in which case the super fund trustee can use their discretion to decide how your super is distributed to your dependents or beneficiaries)
- a binding nomination (in which case your specified dependants and/or legal personal representative will receive your super).
Your fund may also allow you to choose between lapsing nominations, which need to be renewed every three years, and non-lapsing nominations, which don’t need to be renewed.
Generally, you can only access your super once you’ve reached your ‘preservation age’ and have permanently retired. If you were born before 1 July 1960, your preservation age is 55. If you were born from 1 July 1960 to 30 June 1964, the age you can access your super varies from 56 to 59. If you were born after 1 July 1964, your preservation age is 60.
You can choose to access your super as a lump sum withdrawal, a super income stream, or a combination of both. Talk to your financial adviser about what access methods are permitted by your fund and what the tax implications will be.
Even if you’re still working, you may be able to access your super via a transition to retirement income stream (TRIS), which can enable you to reduce your working hours. Keep in mind that there are limits to how much super you can access under a TRIS.
Insights
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Post-work living starts with the right super strategy.
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