Younger Investors, Market Correction and SMSFs

As the saying goes buy in gloom and sell in a boom. On that note more and more 30 – 40 year olds are considering managing their own superannuation with the view to buying a property or blue chip shares and holding onto those assets for the next 20 or 30 years. The financial news highlight the facts that the property market in Sydney and Melbourne are in decline and we have also seen a corresponding decline in the Australian and overseas stock markets. Savvy 30 – 40 year olds believe that 2019 may represent a very good buying opportunity for property and blue chip shares but, generally, they have very little spare funds to invest. Where they do have access to money is their own superannuation funds, particularly where they have been working for 10 to 20 years. Assuming the property prices decline further and the property yields begin to increase, 2019 may pose a very interesting year for those looking to make a long term investment. Note, where a property is purchased in a SMSF, assuming it is residential property, the individual member or associate of that member is not able to live in that property regardless whether they pay commercial market rents. A property investment in a superannuation fund is for investment purposes only. Whilst property and shares will be more volatile in the short term, that volatility tends to smooth out over the longer term. 30 – 40 year olds cannot access their superannuation funds for personal enjoyment until age 60 and retirement from the workforce. Accordingly, young investors should only have a small portion of their superannuation in defensive assets such as cash, term deposits and fixed interest. Accordingly, 30 – 40 year olds should look at their superannuation with a long term investment perspective. Should you have any questions with regard to Superannuation, please feel free to contact Peter Quinn by submitting an enquiry or calling us on +61 2 9580 9166. The information in this document does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and so you should consider its appropriateness having regard to these factors before acting on it.  It is important that your personal circumstances are taken into account before making any financial decision and it is recommended that you seek assistance from your financial adviser.