Last week, Bob and I attended the annual 2014 SPAA Conference in Brisbane.  For those not in the industry, SPAA stands for the SMSF Professionals’ Association of Australia.

SPAA is a highly regarded member association committed to raising industry standards and looking after the needs of Self Managed Super Fund professionals across Australia.

We consider our membership and involvement with SPAA as a vital part of our ongoing education in the growing area of Self Managed Super Funds by keeping us up-to-date with changes to strategies and legislation.

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Ride The Wave’, in reference to the growing popularity of SMSFs and the need for competent professionals to provide advice in this area.  The conference was held over three days and well attended by over 1,400 professionals, ranging from financial advisers, accountants, SMSF administrators and auditors.

As usual, we heard many different speakers from a wide range of backgrounds, ranging from highly-technical to the more thought-provoking, such as the evolving role that technology is playing in the sector.  We also had a chance to hear from both sides of parliament and their stances on the proposed changes to the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) legislation.

It was also a great opportunity to meet some new people from around the country!