This article appeared in the Australian Financial Review today, 7 April 2026. We're sharing so our customers are aware of some of the increased scrutiny banks will natuarlly be required to employ as a result of this outrageous fraud. The competition regulator has warned banks to improve their due diligence on mortgage applications, adding to pressure on the sector following revelations that billions of dollars in loans were obtained from top lenders by people using fraudulent

photo credit peopleImages / Shutterstock.com For many business owners, rent is simply accepted as part of the cost of operating. Every month a payment goes out the door to a landlord, and the focus stays firmly on running the business itself. But at some point a common question arises: “If my business is paying rent anyway… why don’t I own the building?” For some Australian business owners, a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) can provide a pathway to do exactly that — allowing t

Over the past decade, Australia’s superannuation industry has become dominated by enormous institutional funds managing hundreds of billions of dollars. But beneath that towering landscape sits another part of the system that continues to grow quietly and steadily: self-managed super funds. Today there are more than 650,000 SMSFs in Australia, controlling over $1 trillion in retirement savings

All Australian banks and financial institutions are required to comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) obligations. These rules exist to ensure institutions can verify who their customers are and, where relevant, understand the source of their funds.

there are two primary tools that allow you to do this: the Offset Account and the Redraw Facility. Mathematically, they achieve the same result.Behaviourally, they are very different.

A solid lease agreement between your SMSF and your business is more than just a formality. It’s the evidence your fund needs to show the ATO that everything is being done on arm’s length, commercial terms. And when you’re managing both your business and your retirement future, that’s not a corner worth cutting.