SMSF advice · Gold Coast, Melbourne and Australia-wide
Take control of your super. When control is worth having.
A self-managed super fund can give you control, flexibility and real strategic options. It also makes you a trustee, with costs and legal duties to match. We work out whether it suits you and build the strategy. Our sister business WE. SMSF looks after the administration so the fund runs properly.
Our position
We don’t sell SMSFs. We assess them. For plenty of people the right answer is a well-run public fund, and if that’s you, we’ll say so.
Sound familiar?
The SMSF questions we hear every week.
Do I have enough to start one?
There’s no legal minimum, but the running costs are largely fixed. Whether an SMSF makes sense depends on your balance, your plans and what you’d do differently.
Can I buy property through super?
Sometimes, and under strict rules. Property is illiquid, costly to set up and must be run on commercial terms. It needs a lot of planning before it needs a deposit.
Is the mix in my current fund right?
Plenty of trustees set an investment strategy once and never revisit it, even as retirement gets closer and pensions start.
Is my SMSF still cost-effective?
Fees, accounting and audit add up. We compare what your fund costs against what it’s actually doing for you.
I run a business. What can super do for me?
Business premises, contributions timing and exit planning can all involve super. The rules are specific and the planning matters.
Embarrassed about past decisions?
Don’t be. The past is the past. What matters is making the most of your options from here.
Whichever fund you end up in
Australia’s super system has real strengths worth using.
We believe there’s a wealth-building solution for everyone, and for many people it isn’t an SMSF. We look at your needs and objectives before recommending any path, and if an SMSF isn’t right for you, we look at the alternatives.
Plenty of choice
Many platforms and products, so there’s a fit for most needs.
Flexibility
You can move from one solution to another as your life changes.
Your mix
Cash, shares, property or a blend, to suit your tolerance for risk and your goals.
Your level of involvement
Take on as much or as little of the administration as you want.
Is an SMSF for you?
Who it tends to suit, and who it doesn’t.
An SMSF may suit you if
- You want direct control over how your retirement savings are invested
- You’re prepared to take on the legal responsibilities of a trustee
- Your combined balance is large enough for the fixed costs to make sense
- You want to combine family members’ super in one fund
- You have a clear strategy, such as holding business premises, that an SMSF can support
It may not suit you if
- You want super to be set-and-forget
- Your balance is modest and the costs would eat into returns
- Your main goal is a property to live in or rent to family (the rules don’t allow it)
- You’d be uncomfortable being personally responsible for compliance
Trustees remain legally responsible for their fund, even when the administration is outsourced. We make sure you understand that before anything is set up.
Two businesses, one team
Strategy from us. Administration from WE. SMSF.
We cut through the jargon and the paperwork that leave so many people overwhelmed and doing nothing. Wealth Effect Group gives the advice: whether an SMSF suits you, the investment strategy, contributions, property, pensions and estate planning inside super.
Our sister business WE. SMSF handles the running of the fund: establishment, the annual accounts and tax return, arranging the independent audit and keeping the compliance calendar on track. One team, talking to each other, so you aren’t the go-between.
What we help with
Getting more from your super.
Investment strategy
A written strategy reviewed regularly, so cash for pensions, risk, diversification, liquidity and insurance stay aligned with where you are.
Tax efficiency
Super is a concessionally taxed environment, and franking credits from Australian shares can add to that. We make sure the fund is set up to use it properly.
Property in super
Business premises, with or without borrowing, or residential property bought without borrowing. Since 10 August 2026, SMSFs can no longer use new borrowing arrangements to buy residential property; existing arrangements are grandfathered. We test cash flow, liquidity and the rules before you commit.
Retirement income
Moving from accumulation to pension phase, setting drawdowns and keeping enough cash on hand to pay them.
Protecting family wealth
Binding death benefit nominations, trustee succession and estate planning, with legal documents through our preferred legal provider.
Staying compliant
Deadlines, the sole purpose test and the rules on related parties, explained in plain English and kept on track.
How it works
From first question to a fund that runs properly.
SMSF strategy session
A 45 minute session by phone or Teams. We look at your super, your goals and what you’d want the fund to do.
Compare the options
We weigh an SMSF against your current fund on cost, control, insurance and the strategies you’re interested in.
Written advice
If we can help, we quote a fixed fee and put our recommendations in a Statement of Advice before anything is set up.
Establish and run
WE. SMSF sets up and administers the fund, and we review the strategy with you as your life and the rules change.
See how clients have used an SMSF alongside the small business concessions and retirement pensions. Read our client stories →
Questions trustees ask
Frequently asked questions.
Is there a minimum balance to start an SMSF?
There’s no legal minimum. Because many costs are fixed, an SMSF generally becomes more cost-effective as the balance grows. We compare the likely costs against your current fund before recommending anything. An SMSF strategy session is the place to start.
How many people can be members?
An SMSF can have up to six members. Every member is generally a trustee or a director of the corporate trustee, so all of them share responsibility for the fund.
Can my SMSF buy property?
It can, within strict rules. The investment must meet the sole purpose test of providing retirement benefits, members and their relatives can’t live in or rent a residential property owned by the fund, and borrowing has its own conditions. Business real property has different rules. We go through all of this before you commit.
Who is responsible for the fund?
The trustees. Outsourcing administration to WE. SMSF takes the workload off you, but the legal responsibility stays with you, which is why we explain it clearly up front.
I already have an SMSF. Can you help?
Yes. We can review your investment strategy, structure and estate planning, and WE. SMSF can take over the administration if you want to move it.
WE. Insights
Super and SMSF, explained.
Your next step
It’s your future. Take control of it.
Book an SMSF strategy session and get a straight answer on whether self-managed super makes sense for you, or whether your current fund is doing the job.
Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute health check.
SMSF administration services are provided by WE. SMSF, a sister business of Wealth Effect Group. General advice only. This page does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, so consider whether it is appropriate for you and read our Financial Services Guide before acting. Wealth Effect Group (CAR 424768) and Andre Dirckze (AR 395157) are Authorised Representatives of Boston Reed Pty Ltd, ABN 89 091 004 885, AFSL 225738. Accounting and tax services are provided by Altiora Advisory, not by Wealth Effect Group. See our important information.