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The changes to the Australian Taxation Office’s Director Penalty Notice regime that were introduced in June 2012 have been the subject of much consideration over the past year.

What risks might the recent changes have on professional financial advisers and what can be done to guard against those risks?

By now many Australians have had their tax returns prepared and are either happy with their refund, or disappointed or annoyed with themselves for having been so disorganised again.

As you head off on holidays don’t forget to pack your finest financial habits along with your swimmers and sunscreen. Here are five ways to help prevent the silly season from ruining the great financial work you’ve done throughout the year.

Here’s a stat worth knowing – In the UK, 63% of men who finish short-term prison sentences are back inside within a year for another crime. Helping them stay outside involves job training, classes and therapy. And it would pay off handsomely – but the government cannot find the funds.

Toby Eccles shares an imaginative idea for how to change that: the Social Impact Bond. It’s an unusual bond that helps fund initiatives with a social goal through private money – with the government paying back the investors (with interest) if the initiatives work.

Toby has created a radical financial instrument that helps private investors contribute to solving thorny public problems.

Our Business in Focus for this month is Star 104.5 FM, and advertising guy Josh Davies.

A common problem with pension paying SMSF’s is that members sometimes do not withdraw the minimum pension amount.

In response to a review undertaken by the Federal Government last year, the Fair Work Amendment Act 2012 received Royal Assent on 4 December 2012.

Several of the changes came into effect on 1 January 2013, and although technical by nature will have an impact on how the system and your business operates.

Businesses are becoming more reliant on cloud services to provide them with a broader range of options. By eliminating the need for extra servers, companies can focus on more important priorities.

The rise of limited recourse borrowing arrangements continues rapidly.

Search the internet for “buy property in super using a loan” and Google will give you more than 89 million results.

There are some pretty interesting strategies doing the rounds.