About Me

My primary reason for starting this blog is to educate about something every working Australian has, but might not totally understand – superannuation.

I have been fortunate enough to gain a large amount of knowledge and experience in the taxation and superannuation fields, including self-managed super funds (SMSFs), and through this blog I want to pass on this knowledge in the hope that other people can benefit and improve their lifestyle – not just in retirement, but throughout their lives.

The recently released Cooper Review into Australia’s Superannuation System said:

I guess that this blog is my little contribution to rectifying the above issue.

I have seen a lot of strategies and products being peddled to help people generate wealth that promise everything, but deliver nothing.  I have seen good, hard-working and intelligent people get sucked into schemes they probably knew somewhere in the back of their minds weren’t quite right.

Most frustrating of all I have seen people lose large chunks, if not all, of their retirement savings through unscrupulous investment spruikers or simply through their own lack of knowledge.

And that is why I am here: to firstly prevent you from losing your retirement savings and secondly educate so you are empowered to take control of your superannuation and your wealth creation.

This is what I am passionate about.

A little about me…

To be honest, I hate it when I read a bio of someone that simply rattles off all their education, qualifications and experience.  To me it seems superficial and simply doesn’t really tell you what they are about.  Let’s see if I can do better…

I am 31. I am a Chartered Accountant. I live and work on Queensland’s beautiful Gold Coast.

After graduation from university, I commenced work with a small accounting firm as a graduate accountant, working with all types of businesses and individuals – from multi-millionaire business owners and investors, to young entrepreneurs, to hard-working mums and dads.

I completed my studies to become a Chartered Accountant in 2005/06 and I soon realised it isn’t the level of technical knowledge that sets a CA apart from other professionals, it is the commitment we have to act ethically and always work in the best interests of our clients.   I believe that you can’t truly appreciate this quality until you have been on the wrong side of someone else’s unethical behaviour.

Always acting ethically and in the best interests of my clients is something close to my heart.  I hope this passion translates to the educational articles I write on this blog.

I have also spent a number of years working exclusively in the self-managed super fund (SMSF) area – from the basic accounting functions to the most advanced and complex strategies.  I had the opportunity to learn directly from the most highly recognised experts within the SMSF industry, such as Grant Abbott of SMSF Strategies, and I eagerly became a specialist member of SPAA (SMSF Professionals Association of Australia) shortly after its inception.

Before I knew it I found myself in a unique position – as one of only a small number of professionals with a high level of SMSF knowledge coupled with my more general taxation knowledge and experience gained as a CA.

I now aim to share this knowledge and experience with you.

I also have a Diploma in Financial Planning, I am a Justice of the Peace (QLD) and am also a licensed Stratacore® business advisor.

My promises to you:

  • I will always try to write my articles in a straight-forward, plain English manner and not use technical jargon or cut-and-paste information directly from a text book
  • I will endeavour to maintain 100% accuracy wherever possible, and if I will get it wrong I will rectify the mistake as quickly as possible
  • I will be honest
  • I will try to always provide both sides of the argument or alternative opinions; however I will NOT sit on the fence.  I have opinions and those opinions are based on my experience, knowledge and personal values
  • When using case studies or examples I will make them as realistic and accurate as possible
  • Where I have a direct or indirect financial interest in a certain product or service I will disclose it
  • I will not share your personal information (such as email addresses) without your permission

I look forward to sharing my superannuation knowledge and experience with you in my upcoming blog posts and articles.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me or leave a comment.

Kris

I also use Twitter frequently to share useful information that is valuable and relevant. Some of my recent Twitter posts are below: