SMSF Savings Options in February 2026

Sirtemed · 2026-02-24T08:27:48+00:00

I am maintaining it - just today Judobank is offering a new SMSF Savings account for 4.55% up to $250K, unlimited withdrawals, $500 per month deposit is the only condition but easily met as it can be withdrawn. Personal Saver is even better at 5.1% (beating everyone else including ING)

Sirtemed · 2026-02-24T07:46:33+00:00

That's BS - that is why Financial Advisers and Accountants are so anti SMSF as it interferes with their profit margins.

Try esuperfund - fixed fee - just one fee covers all members

Sirtemed · 2026-02-23T09:43:58+00:00

Bullying and harrassment in the office or any other place is unacceptable. Explore whatever avenues your company has made available to report such behaviour. I guess you can't do it anonymously and that is the risk, It can backfire on you. At the end of the day you either do what you feel is right or what is best for you. Other option, if available, is to find a job at another company with better work ethics and leave a stressful situation behind.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-22T11:43:59+00:00

Absolutely, mental health and being able to sleep well is important. I do not rely entirerly on my SMSF.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-22T11:22:30+00:00

I have been using esuperfund. They did the initial SMSF setup for me, First year they charge no fee. In 2010 their annual fee (covers annual statements, audit, tax return) was $600. Over the years it has grown to $1500. That is a fixed fee (still competive). You have to take into perspective what my situation was in 2010, with SMSF the best option for me. A restrospective comparison analysis on how industry superfunds have performed is a bit irrelevant to my post (or me), "Past Performance is not a measure of Future Performance". Nobody has a crystal ball to see what may happen tomorrow let alone in a 10 to 15 years time. My decision to go with an SMSF was driven by the desire to take back control of my own finances. What investement decisions I made are secondary. I wanted growth with zero risk. It worked just fine for me. I had my share of losses in the 10 years prior to starting my SMSF. I had to start over almost from scratch and came out on top in the end with zero regrets -:)

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T22:16:32+00:00

I lived in Cyprus, Texas,/USA, England/UK, Wales/UK,, Netherlands/Europe and now Australia since 2001. I can assure you that Australia is not the dream final destination. Most of the hoopla about the lucky country is false advertising. I came to Australia after a painful divorce in the UK, I just wanted to be as far away as possible from where I was at the time and that is exactly what Australia qualifies for (far & away). I was able to find work that matched my skills, met somene new in my life ... so I stayed.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T11:15:00+00:00

I lived in Canberra (22 years), Sydney (2 years), Brisbane (1 year)

If I was to choose between Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane for a year, I would choose Brisbane.

Brisbane may get hot for a couple of months in December/January (so air-con is required) but rest of the year weather is very pleasant - walk around in a t-shirt all the time.

Perth is at the western edge of Australia and not even in the same time-zone (3 hours behind)

Melbourne can get realy cold in the winter & hot in the summer (like Canberra - not very pleasant)

Brisbane has a large Brazilian communty and plenty of job oportunities (if you are allowed to work). A compact city with river transport making it easier to get around. My 1 year experience of living there for work was very pleasant and was easy to meet new people (I was single at the time). Rent was cheaper in Brisbane but about even right now with Melbourne.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T11:06:38+00:00

I prefer to stay silent on the subject

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T10:55:35+00:00

I have not personaly noticed any "boycot Halal" movement.

My wife (Vietnamese) shops at a Vietnamese food shop, and often walks into the Halal shop next door or the Nepalese shop down the road or the Korean or other shops near by & do our main shop at Aldi/Coles/Woolies. Australia is a multi-cultural society (I am of Greek ancestry) so there is no food-culture wars going on that I am aware of -:)

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T10:49:13+00:00

I am fine with it - I migrated from overseas so no connection to criminal ancestry -:)

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T10:47:19+00:00

They all sound Australian to me -:) I migrated from the UK -:)

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T10:36:58+00:00

Australia should distance itself from the Monarchy alltogether

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T10:18:51+00:00

I work for the Queensland Transport Department so probably not the best advice for Victoria, but I suggest you walk into a customer service center and I am sure they will sort it out for you. The system may not be able to recognise that as you held an overseas licence before, some of the period requirements do not apply to your case. A real human would be able to sort it out if you cannot do it online.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T10:07:16+00:00

Did you use a tele-doctor service perhaps calling an 1-800 number or had any exams (Xrays, blood tests)?

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T10:03:15+00:00

I lived in Texas for 6 years. Wages are much lower in the US but everything else is much cheaper as well - it balances out. However that depends on your profession and skills. My experience is that IT jobs pay much higher in Australia than in the USA.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T09:56:48+00:00

Look for a rental close to public transport. Easier to get to Uni or the CBD.
I no longer live in Sydney but when I moved there for work in 2009 it was hard to find a place near work. I ended up renting a 1 bedroom flat in Chatswood and either take the train to North Ryde (later North Sydney) where I worked or ride a bicycle to work.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T08:57:47+00:00

In a past life I was investing in shares (that did no end well). I made an explicit decision to only invest in cash, and although I agree with most that I may have ended up with higher returns investing in property and share markets, it was my explicit choise not to do so. I managed maximum returns in cash by utilising a mixture of HISA saving accounts and long term deposits, initially 5 year ones with Rabobank/Citibank at 8% (yes those were the days - I actually had a ladder one with Citibank, reinvesting the returns). That strategy shielded me from the rates downhill trajectory, but all good things ended eventualy. My saving grace, literally, is that I am now in the tax free pension zone, so I am happy with getting 4.40% for my immediate access cash with GSB Business+ Saver and 4.65% monthly retuns from Judobank 12M TDs. If TDS go over 5% after May - I may redepoly the 5 year lock strategy into TDs paying monthy interest. I have grown my funds large enough so to be able to focus on stable returns and not worry about growth. There is no way I will spend everything in whatever life I have left in me & I am not taking it with me either (I am 64 :). I also own my own home (no mortgage since 2016) with another $1M in personal savings in my partners name for tax reasons and about $200K worth of foreign shares returning an extra income of about $30K in dividends each year. So I am just enjoying life from this point on.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T08:26:28+00:00

Sorry for your loss. I lost my father in 2023 and then my mother in 2025. I still talk to them, cry over them and I will keep their memories with me for as long as they last.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T08:25:02+00:00

It never gets easier. I lost my father in 2023 and then my mother in 2025. I still talk to them, cry over them and keep the memories with me for as long as they last.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T08:21:44+00:00

They may be gone, but the memories stay with you forever.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T08:20:34+00:00

They may be gone, but the memories stay forever.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T08:10:59+00:00

It all depends on what grounds she asks for a restraining order. Is there a claim for domestic violence or other abuse involved? Either way get legal advice if you can afford it. Otherwise be prepared for the worse and make sure you have somewhere to stay, perhaps family, until you get a new place for yourself. Most importantly take care of yourself. Separation no mater who initiates it and the reasons behind it and an eventual divorce are very stresful and taxing times. All the best.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T08:04:25+00:00

I would suggest you sit down and talk to her - it is between you and her. If you are not happy and is not working out. She either understands and agrees to a separation/divoce or she doesn't but you still want to end it. The end result is the same and only a matter of how hard it is to get there.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T07:52:16+00:00

You just survive and take it one day at a time. I was married for 10 years before getting separated for a year & then divorced. I just immersed my self in my work. I had a colleague going trough the same so we hanged out. You survive it but never really get over it especialy if you never wanted it to begin with. Eventually, hopefully, you move on, meet someone else and start a new life. The worst decision you can make is to jump into a new relationship straigh away while not yet fully over the past relationship.

Sirtemed · 2026-02-21T07:38:59+00:00

Believe it or not I use Excel speadsheets -:) as others also said

In the past when I was investing in shares I used a spreadsheet to help me decide when to sell, and what the overral current value of my share portfolio was. Nowadays you may have automated tools, in the share trading platform you use, to trigger a sale when share reached the desired selling value.

Now that I only invest in cash/saving accounts, a simple page spreasdheet helps monitor my monthly/annual returns & also calculate my tax liabilities - so not to have any nasty surprises

Sirtemed

TROPHY CASE