Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
Powered by momentummedia
nestegg logo

Retirement

SMSFs stick with cash as rates continue to fall

  • January 02 2020
  • Share

Retirement

SMSFs stick with cash as rates continue to fall

By Cameron Micallef
January 02 2020

Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia reducing the official cash rate twice during the September quarter and effectively penalising savers, SMSF members have only marginally reduced their cash balances, according to official figures.

SMSFs stick with cash as rates continue to fall

author image
  • January 02 2020
  • Share

Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia reducing the official cash rate twice during the September quarter and effectively penalising savers, SMSF members have only marginally reduced their cash balances, according to official figures.

SMSFs stick with cash as rates continue to fall

According to the ATO’s latest quarterly statistics, SMSF assets invested in cash and term deposits fell marginally from $155,118 million to $154,526 million between the June and September quarters.

The data also revealed that while cash has gone down marginally, SMSFs are investing more in property despite declines in property prices this year and new rules impacting LRBA holders.

As interest rates continue to fall for the private sector, it is having a minimal effect on the SMSF lending sector as credit providers fail to pass on savings to investors. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

In spite of this, assets invested in residential property jumped from $34,895 million in the June quarter to $35,024 million in the September quarter, while assets held in LRBAs increased from $42,913 million to $43,072 million between the June and September quarters.

SMSFs stick with cash as rates continue to fall

Finally, the data showed SMSF investors are taking advantage of strong growth in Australian and overseas equities.

In the September quarter, SMSFs held $227,588 million in domestic listed shares, up from $224,371 million in June, while investment in foreign equities grew to $8,876 million in September up from $8,751 million in the June quarter.

On a broader note, the statistics revealed that over 5,700 new SMSFs had been established in the September quarter, taking the total number of SMSFs up to 598,582.

Forward this article to a friend. Follow us on Linkedin. Join us on Facebook. Find us on X for the latest updates
Rate the article

About the author

author image

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

About the author

author image
Cameron Micallef

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

more on this topic

more on this topic

More articles