New SMSF Academy to enter RG146 space

Principals of the newly launched Self-Managed Super Funds Academy have flagged plans to enter the RG146 space in the near future, depending on the changes flowing from the Stronger Super reforms package.

The new academy, which was officially launched yesterday by accountant Aaron Dunn (pictured) and solicitor Ian Glenister, offers educational and training courses for both advisers and self-managed super fund (SMSF) trustees.

Dunn said with the minimum adviser competency levels to be increased and possible changes to be done to the RG146 framework, educators would need to move into specialised streams to deal with those changes.

“Depending on what flows out of [Stronger Super], we will, in conjunction with that and us being a Self-Managed Super Fund Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) accredited professional education provider, look to build a program that will allow people to meet those competency requirements,” he said.

He said the academy’s short to medium-term goal would be to achieve the SMSF specialisation accreditation.

Dunn, who authors the SMSF blog The Dunn Thing, said with the sector rapidly growing and rules around the establishment and management of SMSFs changing, “it is vital trustees and those assisting them stay educated and informed”.

The academy has two types of programs for advisers and trustees. Advisers are educated on all the intricacies surrounding the management of an SMSF, as well as training on how to provide strategic advice to their clients in this space, according to solicitor and principal, Ian Glenister.

Glenister also said trustees would receive information on establishing and managing an SMSF in a way of web-seminars which would be sent out monthly.

Most of the tools and information generally available to both advisers and trustees would be web-based, Glenister added.