Choosing the right super risk profile

Choosing the right super risk profile at the right time can drastically increase your retirement savings.

The following considerations will help you invest wisely when it comes to building your retirement nest egg.

Types of investment options
Your super fund should offer a range of investment options to consider. Here is what to know about each kind of option:

• Aggressive options are high risk, and you may have to sustain significant losses hoping to maximise your return in the long-term
• Growth options aiming for higher returns over longer terms may sustain some losses in poorly performing markets
• Balanced options provide moderate growth but endure less damage with an economic downturn
• Conservative options provide a lower return but are the lowest risk option

Picking the right option
The investment option right for you depends on your retirement goals, your financial circumstances and your attitude towards risk. Your timeframe for investment should be substantial if you are looking at high-risk options as you have a considerable opportunity to recover from any losses. As your income stabilises and your retirement comes closer consider shifting to a low-risk alternative to secure what you have built up. You may also want to look to your assets like your business or various properties that may also help you fund your retirement when assessing if you can afford to take a risk.

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News

Penalty interest deductibles

June 24, 2019

The ATO has recently replaced the Taxation Ruling (TR) 93/7W on whether penalty interest is deductible to the new TR 2019/2. This new ruling highlights the circumstances in which penalty interest is deductible and the situations where it is not.

“Penalty interest” refers to an amount charged by a lender to a borrower under a loan agreement if instalments are not paid. The payable amount is then calculated by reference to a number of months of interest that would have been received.

TR 2019/2 says that penalty interest is generally deductible under section 8-1 where:

• The borrowings are incurred when gaining or producing your assessable income; or
• It is necessarily incurred in carrying on a business for the purpose of gaining or producing your assessable income.

Penalty interest that is incurred to discharge a mortgage is also deductible under section 25-30, to the extent that borrowed funds were used to produce assessable income. The ATO makes a note that unlike the general deduction provisions, there’s no influence from the expense being capital or revenue in nature.

You cannot deduct a loss or outgoing under section 8-1(2) to the extent that:

• It is of capital or capital in nature.
• It is of a private or domestic nature.
• It is incurred in relation to gaining or producing your exempt income; or
• A provision of the Act prevents you from deducting it.

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