![]() |
Michael Hutton
|
HLB Mann Judd urges a review of life insurance held in superannuation, particularly the so-called ‘de-facto duty’ levied on payouts to non-dependents.
Head of wealth management Michael Hutton said not enough consideration is given to tax implications when fund members retire.
“When a member was working, there may have been tax advantages in holding life insurance in the fund,” said Hutton.
“But there can be disadvantages to keeping it in the fund after retirement — such as payouts being taxable in the hands of non-dependants.”
Hutton said regular reviews of superannuation are important in determining whether someone is over-insured. It may be that some insurance should be cancelled, particularly if there is still a major item of debt that may affect a surviving spouse, such as a mortgage.
Hutton said financial advisers should play a key role in working with clients to review their superannuation policies.
“Financial planners should make clients aware of the tax payable on payouts as part of a regular financial plan, particularly those in a de facto relationship,” he said.
The lower outlook for inflation has set the stage for another two rate cuts over the first half of 2026, according to Westpac.
With private asset valuations emerging as a key concern for both regulators and the broader market, Apollo Global Management has called on the corporate regulator to issue clear principles on valuation practices, including guidance on the disclosures it expects from market participants.
Institutional asset owners are largely rethinking their exposure to the US, with private markets increasingly being viewed as a strategic investment allocation, new research has shown.
Australia’s corporate regulator has been told it must quickly modernise its oversight of private markets, after being caught off guard by the complexity, size, and opacity of the asset class now dominating institutional portfolios.