Conference Agenda

9:00 – 9:30 REGISTRATION

 

9:30 – 9:40 Welcome, agenda and SMSF update

Darin Tyson-Chan, Managing Editor, Morningstar Media

 

9:40 – 10:25 Economic update – Thinking the unthinkable

James Holt, Director & Investment Specialist, BlackRock Investment Management

Debt ceilings, defaults and bailouts dominate the daily media cycle, but is there any good news nearly four years after the start of the Great Recession? We look at the key factors driving markets and show that the picture is much more complicated for investors than many realise:

• The US economy struggles under a de-leveraging consumer and Congress flirts with default over the national debt ceiling, but corporate profits are booming. Is the recovery sustainable or is the US finished?
• We look at the effects of Bernanke's $1.5 trillion quant easing program, the "jobless recovery", and the housing market. What will it mean in 2011/12 for those investing locally and globally?
• Can the eurozone keep on top of its troubles or is the euro destined for failure?
• The great hope remains that growth in emerging markets will help the world recover, but will inflation, worker discontent and bulging bad bank loans derail the Chinese juggernaut as it makes its transition to a more consumer-based economy?

 

10:25 – 11:05 Incorporating SMSFs into sophisticated estate planning

Robert Monahan, Special Counsel – Estate Planning, Australian Executor Trustees (Canberra and Perth)
Jennifer Wilson, Senior Estate Planner, Australian Executor Trustees (Gold Coast)
Elizabeth Ferguson, Senior Estate Planner, Australian Executor Trustees (Adelaide)

Self-managed super is the fastest growing segment of the superannuation market in Australia. In June 2011, APRA reported there were 456,472 SMSFs and these numbers are set to increase as more and more Australians are choosing to take control of their super. But what will happen to your assets when you die? Unfortunately, many Australians fail to get proper estate planning advice that incorporates their superannuation. But, as super is likely to be one of your most valuable assets, it's important that you have an estate plan in place.

In this session we will look at how superannuation should be properly integrated into an estate plan, with particular emphasis on SMSFs. Some of the issues we will cover include:

• Regulation of SMSFs
• Using an SMSF as an estate planning structure
• Passing control of an SMSF on death or incapacity
• Using death benefit nominations
• Payment of lump sums and/or pensions
• Taxation issues
• Strategies to protect vulnerable beneficiaries

 

11:05 – 11:25 MORNING TEA

 

11:25 – 12:05 How to find value in the microcap market

Boyd Peters, National Distribution Manager, Contango MicroCap Limited

Boyd Peters will reveal from the perspective of an industry expert what Contango as a fund manager looks for when investing in microcap companies (those outside the ASX 300).

Attendees will understand better what to look for when evaluating microcap companies and how to incorporate them into their portfolio.

Boyd will also explore a range of microcap stocks that Contango has looked into recently and what the company likes about them, why it bought them and why it sees upside in them.

 

12:45 – 1:25 Exchange-traded funds as part of SMSF investment strategies

Drew Corbett, Head of Investment Strategy, BetaShares

Exchange-traded funds (ETF) are one of the world's fastest-growing investment products. In Australia, SMSFs have been some of the earliest adopters of ETFs, and a large part of the explosive growth of this asset class. In this session, Drew Corbett details some of the reasons for the high level of adoption of ETFs and some examples of practical strategies exemplifying how trustees could be using ETFs in SMSF investment strategies.

 

1:25 – 2:15 LUNCH

 

2:15 – 2:55 The outlook for Australian equities

Ross Bird, Head of Equities Strategy, Morningstar Australasia

Morningstar will present important insights into the factors impacting on Australian equities, provide sector analysis, the latest stock recommendations and findings from Morningstar's latest quarterly strategy paper.

 

2:55 – 3:55 Top 10 SMSF strategies for FY12

Grant Abbott, Principal, SMSF Strategies

There has been a large number of important SMSF changes over the past six months, with a variety of ATO rulings and government measures opening up some crucial strategies for all SMSF trustees to put in place. In addition, if not acted upon, Grant's top 10 SMSF strategies can cost your family and estate significant superannuation taxes.

 

3:55 – 4:20 AFTERNOON TEA

 

4:20 SESSION CLOSE

 

* Morningstar Media reserves the right to alter the program without notice.