At 30 June 2014, 48% of SMSFs had assets of between $200,001 and $1 million, accounting for 24% of all SMSF assets (see appendix 1, table 14). Generally, over the five years to 30 June 2014, the proportion of SMSFs distributed across asset ranges followed a similar pattern to that of SMSF members by asset balances.
Over the period, majority SMSF assets were held by funds with assets between $1 million and $5 million, representing 54% of total SMSF assets.26 The proportion of SMSFs in these asset ranges gradually increased from 24% in 2010 to 29% in 2014. In 2014, only 2.6% of funds held assets of more than $5 million, representing a 1% increase of funds over the period.
The growth of total SMSF assets continues to show a shift of SMSFs towards the higher asset ranges. Graph 12 shows that for the five-year period, the proportion of SMSFs holding more than $500,000 in assets increased.
Graph 12: SMSF asset sizes, 2010–2014
SMSFs established in the five years to 2014 have also moved to establish with higher opening asset balances. Of the SMSFs established in 2010, 46% held more than $200,000 in assets, increasing to 55% for those established in 2014. 26
26 Based on 2010 to 2014 SAR data