SMSF asset growth sluggish for Sept quarter

This was well below the $11.3 billion or 2.12 per cent increase in net assets during the previous quarter.

It was also less than the $25.5 billion or 5.13 per cent rise in net assets during the September quarter in 2013.

SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia director of technical & professional standards Graeme Colley said the slow growth was not a concern and should be expected given the recent performance of share markets.

Mr Colley said he did, however, consider the slight reduction in the asset size of funds with $500,000 or less an interesting statistic, compared to funds with an asset value of $500,000 or more which saw increases in asset size.

“What we’re seeing now is more higher-value SMSFs, and that trend has been going on for the last four years,” he said.

“It may be that people with larger balances have different investment portfolios, and have picked up the better value in the market.”

The statistics also showed a $986 million or 5.08 per cent increase in real residential assets cent in the six months to the end of the September.

“I think the increase there is based on mainly the market increase,” said Mr Colley.

“In the capital cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne there has been quite a considerable increase in the value of real estate and I think in part the [statistics] reflect that.”