Cash is still king for self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) but they are increasingly diversifying their investment portfolios, according to the latest data released by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
The ATO data noted that for a fourth consecutive year, there were decreases in the proportion of total assets held by SMSFs in cash and term deposits and non-residential real property in 2015/16, alongside decreases in the proportion of assets held under listed shares in 2015 and 2016 following two years of growth.
The ATO data shows that in 2016, assets in cash and term deposits as a proportion of total SMSF assets decreased, while the proportion of SMSFs holding the assets remained stable.
It found that for listed shares, there was a one per cent increase in the proportion of SMSFs holding the assets, while the proportion of total SMSF assets held decreased by less than one per cent.
The ATO said that in 2016, only non-residential real property saw a decrease in the proportion of funds holding the assets, with the remaining asset types remaining stable or showing increases, in particular listed and unlisted trusts (both two per cent) and all other assets (three per cent).
