Compare SMSF home loan interest rates

If you're interested in learning about SMSF loans, it's important to first have an understanding of what a Self-Managed Superannuation Fund is. In essence, a Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) is a superannuation fund which is managed by the trustees of that fund, who are also the fund's members. SMSFs allow Australians to directly invest their superannuation, as opposed to having a standard super fund manage their money for them.

Consequently, an SMSF loan describes money loaned or borrowed by an SMSF and its trustees, for the purpose of making an investment that can help grow the SMSF members' retirement savings.

Acting essentially as a ‘do-it-yourself’ superannuation fund, members of an SMSF are responsible for complying with Australian superannuation and tax laws, and must make investment decisions on behalf of the fund. 

As the purpose of an SMSF is to generate returns for the trustees’ retirement, borrowing or lending money must be for the sole benefit of the SMSF, not the individual trustees. Investments must also not generate value to be enjoyed in the present day, but focus on returns for when the trustees retire.

It's important to note that setting up a Self-Managed Super Fund for the purpose of accessing your super early, renovating your home, or purchasing assets that benefit an individual trustee is illegal. 

An SMSF may not be the best option for every Australian's financial situation so it may be worth seeking financial advice before you enquire about an SMSF trust.

SMSFs can invest in conventional assets such as shares, term deposits, managed funds and property.

SMSFs can also buy ‘collectibles’ such as artwork, jewellery, antiques, coins, stamps, vintage cars and wine – although there are special rules that apply to collectibles.

Investments must be made on an arm’s length basis, which means that assets must be bought and sold at market prices, while income must reflect the market rate of return.

As a general rule, SMSFs can’t buy assets from members or related parties.

All SMSFs are required to have an investment strategy, which should explain what assets the fund will buy and what objectives it will pursue. This strategy must be reviewed regularly.

Issues to consider include how much risk the SMSF will take, how easily its assets can be converted into cash and how it will pay out benefits.

An SMSF loan is legal when it is a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LBRA). 

An LBRA is a loan taken out by an SMSF trustee with a third party lender, to purchase a single asset (or collection of identical assets that have the same market value) that provides investment returns to the SMSF. 

This type of SMSF loan is generally a long-term investment, to provide a market return, and is legal.

If the SMSF defaults on the LBRA, the third party lender’s rights are limited to recovering only that asset, so that the other assets owned by the SMSF remain protected.

Why do you need an LBRA for an SMSF loan?

When borrowing from an SMSF in Australia, trustees must organise an LBRA. If they do not, they are breaking the ATO superannuation laws. If an auditor reports that your SMSF has borrowed money without an LBRA, you may be ordered to sell the property and your fund could be made ‘non-complying’.

There are many costs involved with selling a property, and if you borrow money without such an arrangement, you may have to sell the property for less than the SMSF paid for it. This can also result in thousands of dollars in fines for the individual trustee who set up the illegal loan.

Borrowing money with an LBRA can work, but it’s crucial that you follow all the rules and speak with an SMSF professional before you sign anything.

You can learn more about limited recourse borrowing arrangements from the ATO.

When is a loan made by an SMSF legal?

If your SMSF is considering loaning money to an individual or business, it must be in the best interests of all fund members. It must also be for the sole purpose of generating a market return for members when they retire.

For instance, a business loan that charges interest over a 10-year period may qualify as a legal SMSF loan, as long as it matches the SMSF investment strategy and does not involve any related party.

If your fund is audited, and it is found that a loan arrangement is not in the best interests of the members of the SMSF, your fund may be labelled ‘non-complying’ by the ATO. This means the SMSF could lose up to half of its assets, and fund members could face serious penalties. 

This is why it is best to speak to a financial adviser or an SMSF professional before you draft any loan arrangements on behalf of the SMSF.

As long as you follow the rules, and the reason for purchasing property is to create financial returns that are funnelled directly back into your SMSF, you may be able to purchase property with an SMSF loan. 

Any property purchased with an SMSF loan must be for the sole benefit of the SMSF, not the individual trustees. The property must provide a market return, which will be used to provide retirement benefits for the super fund members when they reach retirement age.

While you can both borrow and loan money from an SMSF for the purpose of buying property, there are many restrictions, regulations and conditions that you must meet to ensure that the purchase is legal.

For example, the property must be purchased for investment purposes only and cannot be owner-occupied. Plus, there are certain features that may be available with standard home loans but not as widely available with SMSF home loans, such as an offset account or redraw facility.

If the purchase is not legal as per the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) guidelines, you may risk losing half of the assets in your SMSF, and face thousands of dollars in fines.

Self Managed Super Funds restrict investments that concern related parties, like members, friends and family. This means you cannot purchase property that a related party owns or has owned. Likewise, you cannot use a property purchased with an SMSF home loan to guarantee someone else's home loan.

However, a market value purchase of business real property is a legal property purchase.

Much like when you apply for a more traditional home loan, the amount you can borrow with an SMSF loan will partly depend on how much you can afford in loan repayments. The more cash you have going into your SMSF as super contributions, dividends and interest (possibly also including forecast rental income from the investment property you’re buying), the higher the potential loan amount you may be able to put towards your investment property. Depending on the loan term and interest rate of the loan you’re applying for (which may be a variable rate or fixed for a limited time), this may allow you to borrow more money to purchase a higher-value property.

Much like a typical investment home loan, you’ll also need to pay a deposit when you buy an investment property with an SMSF loan. Due to the extra risk and complexity of SMSF loans, your SMSF will likely have to provide a higher percentage of the property’s value as deposit up front (perhaps 30 per cent or more, rather than the more typical 20 per cent), for a lower loan-to-value ratio (LVR).

• Higher costs: Specialist SMSF home loans tend to cost more than typical mortgage products. This is partially because there are fewer lenders offering SMSF home loans. This could also potentially make it harder to successfully refinance.
• Requires cash flow: The repayments on your SMSF loan will need to come out of your SMSF, so you’ll need to keep enough liquidity in the fund to manage these payments.
• Harder to cancel: An SMSF property loan can’t be easily unwound if it becomes necessary (such as if your documents and contract aren’t set up properly), meaning you may be forced to sell the property, possibly at a loss to the fund.
• Potential tax losses: Unlike a typical property investment where the borrower can benefit from negative gearing, with an SMSF home loan you can’t offset tax losses from the property against your taxable income outside the fund.  
• Can’t alter the property: You can’t change the character of the property until you pay off the SMSF property loan. You may be able to make minor repairs, but major renovations would be off the table.