Annual CPD Obligations
The SMSF Association is committed to fostering and enhancing integrity and professionalism in the SMSF sector as well as encouraging SMSF professionals to achieve excellence in their education, knowledge and skills.
We recognise professional development as an integral part of this process.
All Associate, Specialist and Fellow members are required, as a condition of ongoing SMSF Association membership, to achieve the following minimum levels of annual CPD hours in areas relevant to the provision of advice on SMSFs.
Fellow and Specialist Members
Associate Members
Affiliate and Retired Members do not have annual CPD obligations with the SMSF Association.
SMSF Association CPD Policy
We are committed to fostering and enhancing integrity, ethics and professionalism in the SMSF sector as well as encouraging SMSF professionals to achieve excellence in their education, knowledge and skills.
This policy supports this commitment by setting the requirements and expectations for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for members of the Association to develop and maintain their expected competence and professional knowledge and skills, relevant to their category of membership.
How can I accrue my CPD hours?
SMSF Association CPD
The SMSF Association delivers 100+ hours of CPD each year to our members through our events, webinars and educational material to ensure you stay at the top of your profession.
We offer a variety of in-person and virtual events, to allow for flexible learning, and providing members with both high-quality, technical content and exceptional networking opportunities.
We also offer a number of complimentary CPD hours each year through webinars and educational material. View Complimentary Member CPD here.
Accredited Educator CPD
It’s now easier than ever for our members to access SMSF Association accredited CPD through our partnered Accredited Educators!
All CPD offered through our 6 designated Accredited Educators is accredited by the SMSF Association and counts towards member CPD.
Always look for the SMSF Association Accredited Educator brand mark to ensure you are undertaking accredited, quality SMSF education and continually enhancing your SMSF knowledge.
Professionalism and Ethics CPD
Professionalism and Ethics CPD hours can be completed with the Association, or delivered by another recognised provider where clear learning objectives relate to professional ethics.
Professionalism and Ethics CPD do not need to relate specifically to SMSF advice. It can include any Professionalism and Ethics CPD that is delivered or recognised by other professional associations or regulatory bodies.
All Professionalism and Ethics CPD hours must meet the verification requirements set out in this policy.
CPD FAQs
Under the SMSF Association CPD Policy, Fellow, Specialist and Associate Members are required to meet CPD obligations.
Fellow and Specialist Members are required to complete 20 Hours of SMSF Association Accredited CPD and 5 CPD Hours of Professionalism and Ethics annually.
Associate Members are required to complete 10 Hours of SMSF Association Accredited CPD annually.
Affiliate and Retired Members do not have annual CPD obligations.
The CPD year runs 1 July to 30 June.
Yes, the SMSF Association delivers 100+ hours of CPD each year to our members through our events, webinars and educational material to ensure you stay at the top of your profession.
Yes, for our Fellow, Specialist and Associate Members we offer a number of complimentary CPD hours through our webinars and educational material during the year to help you stay at the top of your profession. There is sufficient complimentary CPD offered by the Association to meet our CPD Policy obligations.
A member’s first CPD year commences 1 July immediately following the date they become a member. CPD hours accumulated from the date membership commences until this start date will be included in the first year’s CPD assessment.
The SMSF Association conducts independent, random quality reviews of its membership on an annual basis, including auditing CPD completion, to ensure the professional standards which we stand for in the sector are being upheld by our members.
If selected to participate in a review, you will be asked to provide evidence of your professional behaviour and completed CPD for the period. Members are audited over a 3 year period.
If a member fails a review process, depending on the severity of the breach the Association will either work with the member to rectify the issues and set a course for improvement, or in a more serious instance may need to take action against the membership held in line with the SMSF Association Code of Professional Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.
Education and training in the following knowledge areas can contribute towards your CPD requirements provided it is in the context of SMSFs:
- Superannuation
- Managed Investments
- Financial Planning
- Life Insurance
- Generic Knowledge
- Practice Management
- Ethics