I currently have a small portion (about $130k which is about 30% of total) of my super with MLC, and the rest in our SMSF, which is largely invested in a residential property (which so far has been doing well).

My question is about Life/TPD and income protection insurances for myself.

I would like to roll over most, or all, of my super from MLC to my SMSF. However, as above insurances are through MLC, I am not sure if I can get cheaper insurance elsewhere if I completely leave MLC!

Are you able to help me make a decision, or make any recommendation? As additional info – my employer contributions are now going into my SMSF and I have the option of splitting the payments to two different funds. Should I decide to leave some in MLC to keep the account open and pay the premiums?

My main goal is to save the rolled over money in an offset account to reduce the interest on the loan, while also being able to buy shares.

When I am over 65 and still working more than 40 hours a month, can I still put up to $180,000 per year into my SMSF as a non-concessional contribution?

I’ve been following two technical analysts for several years after the crash of 08/09, which killed my portfolio. Both are saying that the US is in a bear market. Analyst 1 says SPX headed to 1400 to 1575 during 2016. Analyst 2 says SPX headed to about 1100 during 2016/17. Hong Kong stocks have fallen below the value of their net assets for the first time since 1998. Singapore has been smashed. Whilst most brokers retain a positive bias, just like what occurred in 2008! If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then …

I’m afraid we are on the slope of hope and are about to get badly burnt for a second time within eight years. So my question is: What do we do with our portfolio, if this is another bad bear market?

In the recent growth portfolio article in the Switzer newsletter Paul Rickard states that, “as a growth-oriented portfolio, our investment time frame is in the three to five year range….our aim is to deliver slightly above market performance over that timeframe.” He also says that the portfolio has beaten the index over the last three years by net 2.85%.

Does this 2.85% take into consideration that each year he starts the portfolio afresh, without reference to selling the existing previous year’s stock for either a profit or loss when rebalancing? That is, each year is a new discrete portfolio that, at the end of the year, disappears into the ether. If it was assumed that the portfolio continued from year to year with rebalancing, what would the total net profit/loss be against the index?