Calculate the costs of setting up and running a Self-Managed Super Fund and whether it makes financial sense for you.
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A Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) gives you complete control over your retirement investments — but it comes with significant responsibilities and costs. Before making the leap, you need to understand setup fees, ongoing compliance costs, and whether the savings outweigh the expenses. Generally, SMSFs become cost-effective once your balance exceeds $250,000-$500,000. This calculator helps you run the numbers.
§ Worked examples
Real-world scenarios
High Balance Couple
Mark and Julie have a combined $800,000 in super. Their current fund charges 0.9% ($7,200/year). They're considering a simple shares-only SMSF.
An SMSF with online admin and basic audit would cost ~$3,500/year. At 0.44% effective rate vs 0.9%, they'd save $3,700/year. Over 15 years, that's ~$55,000+ saved.
Small Balance Warning
Greg has $150,000 and wants an SMSF to buy shares directly.
SMSF running costs of ~$3,500/year = 2.3% of his balance — far higher than a typical industry fund's 0.6%. Greg would be better off staying with a low-cost fund until his balance grows.
§ FAQ
Questions Australians ask
§ Glossary
Plain-English definitions
SMSF
A Self-Managed Super Fund where you (the member) are also the trustee or director of the corporate trustee, giving you full control over investment decisions.
Corporate Trustee
A company set up specifically to act as trustee of the SMSF. Provides better legal protection than individual trustees and simplifies member changes.
LRBA
Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement. Allows an SMSF to borrow to buy a single acquirable asset (like property) with the lender's recourse limited to that asset only.
Investment Strategy
A documented strategy that SMSF trustees must prepare and regularly review. It outlines the fund's investment objectives, risk profile, and asset allocation.