SPAA unveils first SMSF accreditation

The SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia (SPAA) today released the industry’s first accreditation programme for self-managed super fund (SMSF) education providers and training organisations.

The certification allows recognition on the SPAA Education Register and will be primarily aimed at education providers wanting to offer SMSF training to advisers.

The association has a varied member base, ranging from accountants, lawyers, financial planners, tax agents, auditors and actuaries., and also extends to include educationalists, administrators, insurance brokers, stock brokers and valuers.

For a course to be accredited it must meet a stringent set of prerequisites and SMSF quality dimensions that have been developed by SPAA’s national task force.

“For the first time we have drawn together all of the elements of the different professions associated with advice in the SMSF area. This is to ensure the training that each of those professionals receive is of a consistently high standard, and so enhances the quality of advice given to their clients,” SPAA chief executive officer Andrea Slattery says.

These standards according to Slattery set a high benchmark for the growing SMSF industry in terms of the quality of training for those providing advice in the area.

“What we are seeking to do in setting these standards, is to raise the overall education of the advisor and the quality of advice to consumers. This is what SPAA is all about,” she says.

Any professional currently giving SMSF advice can qualify for SPAA specialist designation, and can be achieved by completing an accredited course in conjunction with their demonstrated industry experience and knowledge.

“We believe that a specialist SPAA designation will positively differentiate these advisors from others in the marketplace,” Slattery says.