welcome to r j s & associates
If I knew then what I know now, I would have started investing so much earlier than I did. So much so that I firmly believe we should be investing for our children/grandchildren. Teaching them to save for their future and to help them learn and understand the power of investing over the long-term.Whether you are creating a safety net or investing for their education, travel, cars or for them to use for a deposit on their first home, there are several options and tax scenarios that need consideration.[caption id="attachment_2230" align="aligncenter" width="780"]
It’s never too early to start investing in your children’s future.[/caption]With the exception of bank accounts; investments for children must be set up in either the adults name as “trustee” for the child, or in a formal trust structure. The key differences in whether setting up the investments in your name versus in trust are the taxation amounts and who the actual beneficial owner is. Who the beneficial owner is, relates to who decides how the money is spent, regardless of who the money is spent on, and this determines who gets taxed on interest and income earned.Another consideration is the tax bracket you will fall into by having additional assets and “unearned income” along with Capital Gains Tax, Centrelink eligibility and superannuation thresholds for those close to retiring. Unearned income is classified as income derived from private means i.e. interest, dividends and distributions and not work.
Saving accounts and term deposits can be set directly up in your child’s name without the need for a tax file number (TFN). Although if you do not supply a TFN, then the bank will deduct tax from any interest earned above a certain threshold. You can apply for a TFN for children under 16 with two forms of ID, i.e. their birth certificate and passport. These are the easiest types of investments and allow for other friends and relatives to make contributions, along with the child being able to deposit their own birthday or pocket money. Sounds easy enough, except you can expected a low return from this form of investment.
Shares are a fun way to start investing for and with your children. And the minimum investment is relatively small compared to other options. They can help select the shares and together you can watch the portfolio perform. Children cannot usually buy shares in their own name and therefore an “as trustee for” arrangement would be considered. Alternatively purchasing these in a trust environment is another option. You will need to consider whether you want the dividends taxed in your own name or as trustee - where child taxation rates may apply.
Minors cannot invest in managed funds in their own name, so the adult can set it up in their name and be taxed at their marginal rate or it can be set-up as a trustee arrangement and child tax rates apply. These are a good alternative to bank accounts as they are professionally managed investments and may have a higher long-term growth potential, in rising markets. However, a larger minimum investment amount is required when choosing this type of investment.
Boring, but relatively safe is how many describe investment bonds. But don’t be fooled, they are not risk free. These are a beneficial investment as the earnings are taxed up to a maximum of 30{89774503f1dc5a8067a215bf11c503ad6eecdd9fbdfb7beae4875fba6258e357} within the bond and if no withdrawals are made in the first 10 years then any earnings on the bond will be tax-free. Many investment bonds offer a child advancement policy where you can transfer the policy to the child once they reach a certain age – usually between 16 and 25. Insurance bonds are a tax effective way to save for your children’s future. Although capital growth can be limited in this investment environment.
If you are considering saving purely to fund your children’s private schooling or university, then a suitable option may be by investing in an specific education bond. These are very similar to insurance bonds and are a simple, flexible tax effective way to plan for your child’s future education expenses.
For children under 16 special rules apply to the income generated from savings accounts. Unearned income is taxed at higher rates than adult rates and they are unable to claim the low income tax offset if they have received an unearned income. The current taxable amounts on unearned income for minors is in the table below;
When your child starts working or is entitled to earned or excepted income, then that income will be able to claim the low income tax offset.Once you have established investments for your children, talk to them about their investments and the value of saving. Rather than this being passive future building, they can learn a lot from you and the investments as they grow. There are so many investment options to choose from. And the most appropriate one for your child / grandchild will depend on personal circumstances. To find out which one is best for you, we recommend seeking Professional Advice. To speak with a RJS Wealth Management Professional about investing for our loved ones, give us a call on 1300 27 28 29.This blog has been prepared by RJS Wealth Management Pty. Ltd. ABN 24 156 207 126. RJS Wealth Management Pty. Ltd. is a Corporate Authorised Representative (No. 438158) of Modoras Pty. Ltd. ABN 86 068 034 908 an Australian Financial Services and Credit Licensee (Number 233209). The information and opinions contained in this blog is general information only and is not intended to represent specific personal advice (Accounting, taxation, financial, insurance or credit). No individuals personal circumstances have been taken into consideration for the preparation of this material. Any individual making a decision to buy, sell or hold any particular financial product should make their own assessment taking into account their own particular circumstances. The information and opinions herein do not constitute any recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any particular financial product. Modoras Pty Ltd recommends that no financial product or financial service be acquired or disposed of or financial strategy adopted without you first obtaining professional personal financial advice suitable and appropriate to your own personal needs, objectives, goals and circumstances. Information, forecasts and opinions contained in this blog can change without notice. Modoras Pty. Ltd. does not guarantee the accuracy of the information at any particular time. Although care has been exercised in compiling the information contained within, Modoras Pty. Ltd. does not warrant that the articles within are free from errors, inaccuracies or omissions. To the extent permissible by law, neither Modoras Pty. Ltd. nor its employees, representatives or agents (including associated and affiliated companies) accept liability for loss or damages incurred as a result of a person acting in reliance of this publication.