The role and responsibilities of a trustee

A trust is a vehicle through which property is legally held by a trustee for the benefit of others. It separates the beneficial and legal ownership of property. The parties to a trust are the settlor (person creating the trust), the trustee (the legal owner...

Retirement Living – Life beyond bingo and bowls

Not surprisingly people talk about buying their first home as being a life changing event and it is. However, in the past it has been rare for people to talk so excitedly about moving into some form of retirement living. Given that sooner or later a lot of...

Farm succession planning – striking a balance

The diversity of a family farming enterprise amidst the dynamics of the family unit can raise challenging and complex issues. The topic of succession planning is often highly emotive. The respective contributions from individuals to the farming enterprise...

Self Managed Super Funds – buying property

Since 2007, self-managed super funds (SMSF) have been permitted to borrow money to invest in all types of real property including residential property, commercial property and industrial property. Prior to 2007, SMSFs could purchase property but were not...