After educating myself on the super industry, I quickly learned that the only person who will look out for your super is yourself. The thought of leaving my retirement money in the hands of someone else that, ultimately, has no real responsibility for it and receives money regardless of whether my portfolio is growing or not, didn’t really appeal to me. Plus, I was interested in using my super to invest in bullion, and a traditional industry superfund didn’t allow me to do that. 

Luckily, a close friend of mine who I trust introduced me to Squirrel. After conducting my own research, I quickly became interested in the company. The main reason Squirrel caught my eye was their fee structure, which is flat-rate and not a percentage-based system. Plus, with a Squirrel SMSF, I can incorporate other family members into the trust, and thus, protect their retirement as well. 

After a couple of phone calls with the team, I realised there was more to Squirrel than their fee structure. The team is very knowledgeable, and they guided me through the whole setup process. It was very assuring to have someone help me whenever I needed it. In fact, the Squirrel team almost always calls me not long after sending an email to the team. I also love how I deal with the same people at Squirrel whenever I have a question or need help.

Shortly after signing up with Squirrel, I began to look at my investment options. I didn’t particularly like the idea of investing my super in stocks. I felt like an investment strategy that relied on stocks would be gambling with my retirement money.

During my research, I learned about investment market cycles. In particular, where the Australian real estate market was in terms of its cycle. In my opinion, property is currently in the upper part of the cycle, and thus I decided it would not be a good investment for me. Then I looked at gold and silver, and found the assets to be at the bottom or very close. Not to mention how silver in particular is the second most used commodity in the world. 

When I decided to  invest in bullion, I didn’t know what evidence I needed for the annual audit of my fund. Thankfully, Squirrel gave me a step by step guide on the process, removing all worry from the situation. Kishani in particular was so helpful in answering all my questions and ensuring my investments were compliant. 

The Squirrel team has helped me tremendously with both my SMSF and my decision to invest in bullion. The team’s assistance has made the hardest part of having an SMSF, the auditing and documentation, that much easier. They always email me whenever I need to fill out anything to ensure I’m submitting the right documents on time. 

I am very happy with Squirrel’s services, and honestly can’t stop recommending them to my friends and family. I hope more people wanting to take control of their own retirement fund switch over to company like Squirrel.

-Rhys, 31, WA