The staff members of Dixon Advisory write regularly for a number of publications including the The Canberra Times, the Sun-Herald, the Smart Investor and the AFR. A blurb from a selection of these articles will be included below. If you wish to view the full article you will need to visit the website situated underneath the blurb and then purchase it.
Please read the disclaimer that applies to the information on these pages.
Most recent additions (added 2 September 2010):
Australian Financial Review, 1 September 2010
It takes a crowd to run a super fund
Running your own do-it-yourself superannuation fund may well give you the investment control you desire, but you shoudl be aware that the "DIY" part of the scheme is something of a misnomer, unless you are an auditor, investment professional and regulatory expert all rolled up into one. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 28 August 2010
Get best from shares to enhance retirement
I turn 65 soon and expect to qualify for a part age pension. I'm a single women and have about $120,000 in super that I'll take as a super pension. I also have shares worth about $160,000 and cash of about $80,000. Would I be better off contributing the shares to my super while I still can (before I turn 65?). To access full article, click here
Investor Daily, 24 August 2010
Are LICs worth the trouble?
Listed investment companies (LIC) are in the spotlight as many groups within the sector either enjoy a substantial premium or suffer a huge discount to their underlying worth. Alan Dixon, Managing Director - Dixon Advisory quoted. To access full article, click here
ABC National Radio, 21 August 2010
Election Special - Poll Analysis
Guest Max Walsh - Veteran political and economics commentator. To listen now, click here
The Australian, 20 August 2010
Abbott ducks as issue of super caps raised - Election 2010
Concerns about the cap on extra superannuation contributions have re-emerged in the final week of the election campaign, but Tony Abbott dodged the issue when quizzed on it at the people's forum in Brisbane on Wednesday night. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 10 August 2010
Shaken investors stirred by bonds
Return from fixed interest investments are attracting more attention, and Australians are underweight bonds.To access full article, click here
The Age, 10 August 2010
Fees keep rolling in for dogs of the ASX
The return of 95 eprcent of capital to investors in the Van eyk Three Pillars listed investment company poses a hard question for the directors of all the "new school" LICs: are they working for their shareholders or for their managers? To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 7 August 2010
Key ATO ruling awaited on DIY fund transfers
If you begin a pension in your DIY fund, you are required to withdraw a minimum pension amount each year. For a 73 year old this minimum is calculated as 5 per cent of the opening account balance at the beginning of each financial year. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 31 July 2010
Labor promises art investment won't be excluded from super funds
Labor has succumbed to a vocal campaign from artists and gallary owners to ensure Australians can continue loading up their super funds with art and collectibles. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 29 July 2010
Stakes high for Gillard and Abbott in migration row
In thier chosen field, the only prospect for the loser is demotion. Australian elections, being largely non-idelogical, inevitably come down to auctions. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 24 July 2010
Get all your super tax free
Superannuation money is split into two components - tax-free and taxable. Different rules apply to calculate the tax split for the super accumulation or savings phase and the pension income phase. To access full article, click here
Money Magazine, July 2010
Here to stay
The Cooper review of superannuation ruled out many tougher regulations for SMSFs but fund trustees are on notice to avoid overstepping the line on investment practices. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 9 July 2010
Easy maintenance for DIY funds
DIY superannuation fund members can breath a sigh of relief. Jeremy Cooper's inquiry into the super system has proposed few changes that DIY experts had feared. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 6 July 2010
Big winners in a $1 trillion success story
Thanks to Paul Keating's 1992 compulsory super initiative and support of voluntary super by the Howard government, on a per capita basis Australia is in the top handful of countries saving for retirement. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 3 July 2010
How to target tax relief
The government announced on Wednesday that it would allow people to draw less from private pensions in 2010-11, in an extension of similar relief offered in the past two financial years. The last minute move left self-funded retirees scrambling to reorganise their affairs but will at least help their capital recover from losses suffered in the global financial crisis. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 3 July 2010
Take five
Here are five issues to consider in the government decision to halve the minimum drawdown for private pensions next year. How exactly is the reduced drawdown for 2010-11 calculated? To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 3 July 2010
Easy DIY pensions
One of the attractions of do-it-yourself super funds is how easy it is to establish a pension within the fund. It is also easy to stop a pension and go back to saving. At a practical level, says Alan Dixon, managing director of self-managed super administrator Dixon Advisory, it takes minutes by the trustees and an arrangement to organise the investments into tax-exempt assets. To access full article, click here
Vanguard Weekly Wealth Series, 30 June 2010
Planning for the new financial year
Moderator Tim Blue along with panellists Nerida Cole, Dixon Advisory and Mark O’Leary, AMP discuss the wise things to do now that we are at the start of a new financial year. Hear about the importance of putting a plan in place and seeking good quality financial advice to ensure you are keeping up to date with changes in Law and maximising your financial future. To access this podcast, click here
The Australian, 30 June 2010
Wait and see for Telstra
Shareholders shouldn't celebrate the broadband network deal yet. Telstra's $11 billion deal with the federal government on the new high-speed national broadband netwrok has come as a welcome relief to the company's 1.4 million shareholders, who have seen the company's share price punished by uncertainty during the past year. To access full article, click here
Investor Daily, 29 June 2010
Dixon fund adds short-selling to mandate
Dixon Advisory's listed multi-manager Asian Masters Fund will now be able to invest in managers that can use short-selling. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 29 June 2010
Telstra losing grip on market
When Telstra closes its accounts this week for the end of another gruelling financial year, it will have kissed goodbye to about 250,000 retail broadband customers. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 26 June 2010
Art a super pitfall
Are self-managed super funds rorting the tax system by investing in artwork adn classic cars? Experts say that is how the Australian Tax Office see it. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 25 June 2010
All signs point to slow recovery
The global economy, after surgery, is still in intensive care. What is needed now for the global economy? Continued stimulus or debt-reduction austerity? Proponents of these opposing views are warning that unless the approach they advocate is followed, we will face another crisis. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 23 June 2010
Cooper's super a streamlined package
Next week the Cooper report, the last of the three reviews that analyse Australia's investment and savings market is expected to be delivered to the federal government. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 16 June 2010
Forward planning lets you keep control of your life
Retirees should consider preparing for the time when they can no longer manage their affairs. The wealth people have spent their life building is theirs until they die. So it's important to make sure that wealth is protected by putting in place future life plans. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 12 June 2010
Why public servants have the best super
For years public servants have enjoyed some of the most generous superannuation benefits of any Australians. Older schemes, in particular, provide excellent pensions. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 12 June 2010
Gilded trap for the unwary
Gold is unlikely to salvage investment portfolios from losses suffered in the global financial crisis, dispite the metal's relentless rise to a record high in excess of $US1250. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 11 June 2010
Capital raisings digest: sentiment revived
The launch of the $1.3 billion Valemus initial public offering, with help from Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Royal Bank of Scotland, was a much-needed injection of hope to capital markets, amid the negativity coming from Europe, the Gulf of Mexico, and some sectors of the Australian economy. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 24 May 2010
Rudd government squanders political capital
Understanding the government's proposed resource super-profits tax is a real challenge. But what I find most confounding about the tax is why any government would introduce such a contentious piece of legislation on the eve of an election, click here
The Vanguard Wealth Series Webcast, moderated by The Australian, 12 May 2010
The Federal Budget: Implications for Investors
To access webcast, click here
Australian Financial Review, 8 May 2010
Answering the questions on super savings
John Wasiliev answers questions on super savings. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 5 May 2010
No need for DIY fund managers to take fright
One government review has propsed banning do-it-yourself superannuation funds from investing in exotic assets, such as art and collectable items, and lending money to related businesses. A separate review will result in a raising of compulasory contributions and allowing savers aged over the age of 50 to keep contributing up to $50,000 a year in tax-concessional amounts to super if they have fund balances of less than $500,000. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 3 May 2010
Investors' faith restored in super
Treasurer Wayne Swan has delivered great news to superannuation investors by dismissing outright the negative proposals in the Henry review. To access full article, click here
Sydney Morning Herald, 2 May 2010
A free kick for transparency
An upshot of the Storm Financial fiasco is a ban on hidden commisisions. Secret payments, corporate kickbacks and a public that was none the wiser - Storm has exposed all of it. And the penalties have shaken the game to its core. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 1 May 2010
Red rags and mining stocks
The reality of the Australian economy is that it is drivin by the resources sector and is likely to continue that way. But any investor, even if only through super, needs to understand the pitfalls and opportunities. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 27 April 2010
'Banksters' face public arena
They'll throw Fab under a bus, blame him for everything, pay a few hundred million in a settlement deal and be back to business as usual. "They'll" is Goldman Sachs. While Friday's action of the SEC in charging Goldman Sachs and a relatively junior executive certainly roiled financial markets, it's hardly suprising there is a certain amount of cynicism about how it will play out. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 14 April 2010
Not such a super idea
The option of buying property through retirement funds is not proving popular. Gearing property into a self-managed super fund has failed to gain much traction since its introduction in 2007, largely because the interest rate offered by some commercial lenders has been too high. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 10 April 2010
Remember to count the hours you work
My husband and I have a self-managed super fund paying pensions to both of us. He is 70 and retired and his is a minimum account-based pension; mine is a transition to retirement pension. I'm 65 and still working part-time and propose to transfer my work super into this fund. To roughly equalise our balances, can my husband make non-concessional spouse contribution of shares he owns into an accumulation account on my behalf? To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 7 April 2010
Tax slug when super doesn't add up
There are steep penalties for those who invest too much in super - whether intentional or not. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 7 April 2010
Spice up your assets without getting burnt
Most Australian investors stick to the local market, but some overseas diversification is always a good idea. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 7 April 2010
Less local pain or great gains for growing nations
A widely helf view is that emerging economies are the growth engine for the global economy for at least the next few years, so the equity markets in these countries should deliver healthy returns. However, investors who have not already dived into those markets may be too late. The MSCI Emerging Market Index has surged by about 105 per cent since global markets staged a turnaround in early March last year. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 7 April 2010
Public servants at greater risk
Federal and state public servants who are members of a defined benefits scheme stand an even greater chance of getting caught out by the excess contribution tax. Nerida Cole, executive director of financial advisory at Dixon Advisory, says the formulas for calculating the employee's contribution can vary widely from scheme to scheme and are not easy for members to follow. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 1 April 2010
How is my super inherited when I die?
The taxable component in a super fund is the amount that was sourced from concessionally taxed contributions and concessionally taxed investments earning. It is tax exempt during the pension phase and also tax exempt if inherited by a financial dependent, such as a spouse or disabled child. But the benefit will be taxable if inherited by someone who is not a financial dependent, says technical adviser Emma Boer of Dixon Advisory. To access full article, click here
The Canberra Times, 25 March 2010
Graduate program offers attractive and rewarding training options and support
"How did you find Dixon Advisory's graduate program?" This was just on of the questions asked to three participants in the Dixon Advisory's graduate program Phil Boadi a superannuation account manager, investment advisor Larissa Hall and financial advisor Ishara Rupasinghe. To access full article, click here
BRW, 17 March 2010
DIY in demand
Self-managed retirement funds are the fastest-growing sector in the superannuation industry. As of June last year there were more than 410,000 such funds in Australia overseeing $370 million - more than a third of the sector. Five years earlier, the DIY universe comprised 278,000 schemes managing just $131 million of assets, Australian Taxation Office statistics show. To access full article, click here
Investor Daily, 17 March 2010
Dixon adds three to Asian Masters Fund
Treasury Asia Asset Management, Legg Mason and Phillip Capital have won mandates within Dixon Advisory's Asian Masters Fund. To access full article, click here
Money Management, 11 March 2010
Dixon Advisory opposes mandatory minimum SMSF balances
Dixon Advisory has mounted a strong defence of the existing regulatory regime for self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs), including arguing that there should be no attempt to legislate a minimum balance for the establishment of a self-managed fund. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 10 March 2010
Related-party rule stamps out collections
DIY super funds have the investment flexibility to include less conventional assets, such as stamp and coin collections in their portfolios But can a fund acquire such assets where they have been inherited by a member who wished to transfer them to his fund? To access full article, click here
The Canberra Times, 7 March 2010
Colleagues heed to quake help call
Yessica Gonzalez awoke last Sunday to the news that her former homeland, Chile, had been flattened by an earthquake. She spent the next 36 hours battling desperately to get news of her grandparents' safety. Fortunately, good news arrived late on Monday. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 27 February 2010
Keep things simple, says DIY funds
The do-it-yourself superannuation lobby has come up with its wish list for the government review into the super industry, chiared by Jeremy Cooper. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 27 February 2010
How trust can help your children
A child maintenance trust can be a tax-efficient way of giving more to children, writes Debra Cleverland. Divorce is a messy business and often children are the losers. Once way to keep the focus on their financial wellbeing is via a child maintenance trust. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 22 February 2010
DIY funds warn on super giants
A financial planning firm has warned the Rudd government's superannuation inquiry that taking advice from retail and industry funds on regulating self-managed super would be like allowing the big grocery chains to set rules for independent grocers. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 22 February 2010
Debtflation to force rethink
You've heard of inflation, disinflation, deflation and stagflation. But I have a nasty feeling that debtflation is going to be the flationary term of this decade. The shockwaves sent through global financial markets by the debt problems of Dubai and now Greece, two economies of marginal importance in global terms, are indicative of the times ahead. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 20 February 2010
When a DIY fund may be just too expensive
To conserve capital, I'm using term deposits within my do-it-yourself superannuation fund. The interest rate I'm getting is about 1 per cent less than what I might earn outside super. In addition, fund administration and advisor fees of 1.6 per cent are also payable. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 20 February 2010
Charge your super
Your do-it-yourself superannuation fund could be chugging along at half speed and missing out on opportunities to generate better returns. Experts generally agree that most of the 417,426 DIY funds in existence could be made to work much harder with a decent tune-up. To access full article, click here
Herald Sun, 19 February 2010
Cashing up in a crisis
Forget the global credit crunch, what happens when you have your own personal cash crisis? What can you do when you need money in a hurry? Taking out a loan might be your first thought, but this can often take weeks or months for approval. Personal finance editor Katrina Barrymore took a look at five fast ways to get hold of some cash. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 17 February 2010
Bonds isses back on the boil
In a single week this year, companies across the world issued a reported $47 billion of bonds. At the same time, governments are issuing bonds hand over fist seeking to fund ballooning deficits. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 12 February 2010
Tax-deductible contribution has its limits
You can make a tax-deductible personal contribution to super if you are under 65 and not working but such a strategy has its limitations. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 10 February 2010
Tax benefit on inherited super
Many older Australians with sizeable super savings like the idea of having some money left in their do-it-yourself funds that could be inherited by their children. But imagine not being able to pass on the balance of your super to the next generation, but also the benefit of a special tax deduction for many thousands of dollars of tax your super fund paid on contributions over the years. To access full article, click here
Australian Stock Exchange, February 2010
How to plan for school fees
Annual fees in some private secondary schools are around $20,000 per child and many parents put education costs in their top three financial concerns. Starting an investment programme early will help increase the power of compounding interest, but clever planning also means investors can come out well in front of the older-style education bond accounts, at a fraction of the cost, through the use of listed investment products. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 3 February 2010
Long-term benefits
Savers disappointed by the decision to keep interest rates steady should use the competition among banks to wring the most out of their capital. One-year term deposits are paying well in excess of 6 per cent and even 90-day terms can attract rates of more than 5 per cent, according to research house RateCity. The best deals apply to very long terms such as five years. To access full article, click here
The Australian, 30 January 2010
Wall street portrayed as the villain by a president rocked by an election
Banks and bankers have become an easy target after the financial crisis, and Obama has taken aim. In Australia, by-elections matter. They provide a far superior read of the electoral mood than any number of opinion polls. But the defeat of the Democrat candidate for the senatorial by-election in Massachusetts marks the first time that a US by-election has had any immediate and potentially long running impact on Australia. To access full article, click here
Sydney Morning Herald, 27 January 2010
The fight is on for profits
In the wake of the economic crisis, Annette Sampson looks at ways to adjust your Investment strategy. If investors should have learnt anything from 2009, it is to expect the unexpected. Last year may have started out looking like a fast track to hell but by year-end, expectations - along with the value of our investments - had improved dramatically. To access full article, click here
Sun Herald, 24 January 2010
Let super improve cash flow
The recent increases in the mortgage interest rate are starting to affect our weekly budget noticeably. We're still in reasonable shape but we're worried about the impact of more increases this year. Have you any advice that can help us? To access full article, click here
Sydney Morning Herald, 20 January 2010
Still out in the cold
Investors, mainly retirees, have limited or no access to their funds 15 months on. When Nerida Cole sees clients who are having problems because of frozen funds in their portfolios, she tells them three things. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 16 January 2010
Rolling over funds from SMSF to an industry fund
My husband and I, who are 66 and 62 respectively, are both working. We each have individual accounts in the same industry fund. My husband's $800 account is dormant and my $55,000 account is in the accumulation phase. We also have $1 million in a self managed super fund. To access full article, click here
Northern Territory News, 19 December 2009
Retirees tap into value
Three years ago Keith and Helen Cowie faced a financial crisis: the nest egg they retired with almost 20 years earlier was about to run out. Like a growing number of retirees in Australia, Mr Cowie, 76, considered a reverse mortgage but was concerned about whether there would be anything left in the estate for his family. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 19 December 2009
Shop around for savings if SMSF fees sound high
We have a $2 million self-managed super fund. My accountant charged $6000 to set it up. Last year, we paid $6000 again and this year have been billed another $6000. It seems alot to pay as we don't meet him during the year to discuss anything and we have a financial advisor we pay $12,000 a year. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 12 December 2009
DIY super secrets
The smart money has targeted the do-it-yourself fund. Behind your own private superannuation walls advisors can help you juggle finances in a way that increases returns and lowers tax. But it is a complicated and sometimes risky business. And government regulators are watching. This article looks at all the amazing things you can do with self-managed super but were too afraid to ask your accountant. To access full article, click here
Australian Financial Review, 5 December 2009
Government schemes come with strings attached
Can a self-managed super fund lend up to 5 per cent of fund assets to a company that acts as the trustee of the fund? The purpose of the loan would be to provide the company with working capital to make investments. There is nothing to stop a fund lending money to a related company to provide it with working capital so long as the amount does not exceed 5 per cent of the total fund assets, says Darren Kingdon, from Brisbane financial planning firm Planwealth. To access full article, click here