Advocacy

The Australian Investors Association (AIA) represents and advocates for a group of self-directed investors who choose to make their own decisions about their investments. The AIA is a national not-for profit organisation.  Many of our members are self-funded retirees and many members use the tax provisions of superannuation to extend the life of their retirement savings in retirement. 

The AIA has made the following submissions:

3rd February 2020

The Retirement Income Review

The AIA is a member of ‘The Alliance for a Fairer Retirement System” (the Alliance) and this comprises the following eleven organisations

• Association of Financial Advisers
• Association of Independent Retirees
• Australian Investors Association
• Australian Shareholders’ Association
• Gold Coast Retirees Inc.
• Listed Investment Companies & Trusts Association
• National Seniors Australia
• SISFA
• SMSF Association
• Stockbrokers & Financial Advisers Association
• WA Self Funded Retirees

The Alliance submitted its response to the Consultation Paper issued in November 2019.  It is important to understand that the Consultation Paper was NOT seeking recommendations.  
The Panel has been tasked with establishing a fact base to help improve understanding of how the Australian retirement income system is operating and how it will respond to an ageing society. Interested parties were invited to comment on the issues and materials raised in this consultation paper by Monday, 3 February 2020.  The AIA was represented by director Jon Kalkman, and we record our thanks for his most significant contribution.  It would be fair to say that large parts of the Alliance submission were written by Jon.

AIA Submission to the Inquiry into Franking Credits

On Tuesday 20th November 2018, The President, Graeme Bottrill, appeared at the Sydney public hearing of the House of Representatives Economic Standing Committee Inquiry into refundable franking credits.

We have lodged our submission on 29 October 2018.  
All submissions were available on the Economics Committee website

Member Response re Labor Franking Credits Proposal

The President sent an email to members regarding the Labor proposal to withhold the refund of franking credits.  Forty five members responded with their thoughts.  

Labor Party plan to keep franking credits 

The Alliance for a Fairer Retirement System, of which AIA is a member, has issued a number of press releases and papers see its News and Submissions page.

AIA Member and former director, Jon Kalkman, has written an article concerning franking credits (download article).

Consequences of the Government’s superannuation policy

9th June 2016
The AIA has endorsed a letter sent by the SMSFOA to the Federal Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer and the Prime Minister, outlining the consequences of the budget proposed changes to the superannuation rules. The letter was initiated by the SMSFOA, with input from the AIA, ASA and SISFA. (Download letter) 

2016 Budget Superannuation Changes

What the proposed changes to superannuation mean to you (Download Member Briefing)

The changes to superannuation announced in the Federal Budget are profound.  They will impact many AIA members, from those aspiring to build superannuation balances to take care of their financial needs later in life, individuals in transition to retirement and to retirees in full pension mode. The proposals are disruptive to many current financial plans and personal aspirations as they challenge many of the assumptions on which those plans have been built.

The AIA has prepared a briefing paper that summarises the major changes likely to affect investors.  

We would be interested to hear your views or the issues you see in these changes as we build our advocacy on this matter during the election campaign.   Please send any comments to [email protected].

The Objective of Superannuation

On the 9th March 2016, the government issued a discussion paper titled “Objective of Superannuation”.

The paper in part mentions: “The Government agreed, as part of its Financial System Program and in response to the Financial System Inquiry (FSI), to develop and introduce legislation to enshrine the objective of the superannuation system.

As the FSI noted, a legislated objective will serve as a guide to policy-makers, regulators, industry and the community about superannuation’s fundamental purpose.

The objective will provide a way in which competing superannuation proposals can be measured and a framework for evaluating the fairness, adequacy and sustainability of the superannuation system.”

 The AIA submitted a response on 24th March 2016.  View our response.

The “Re:think” tax discussion paper

In March 2015, the government issued a tax discussion paper title “Re:think”.   The following quote is from this paper –
“The time for a national conversation on tax reform is now. This discussion paper begins our formal government process for considering future directions for Australia’s tax system. It provides information about the challenges the tax system faces, the way it currently operates, identifies potential opportunities for reform and points to some of the trade-offs that would need to be considered.”

The AIA called for contributions from members, and our paper was submitted on 1st June 2015.  View our submission. 

Joint letter to the tax white paper taskforce

In July 2015, the AIA joined with the SMSF Owners Alliance in making a submission to the Tax White Paper Task Force on retirement incomes. View the document.