What I Predicted About SMSFs in 2013 — And Where We Are Now in 2025

The Future of SMSFs… Predicted in 2013

Back in 2013, I recorded a short video about the future of Self Managed Super Funds (SMSFs).

At the time, SMSFs held around $500 billion in assets. I predicted they would grow rapidly, become multi-generational, and introduce new risks around mental capacity, trustee succession and intergenerational wealth control.

Twelve years later, in 2025, many of those predictions have become reality.

Today, SMSFs are approaching one trillion dollars in assets. Family super funds are growing fast. And issues around ageing trustees, incapacity, estate planning and succession are now some of the biggest risks facing Australian families.

🔹 The Big Prediction: Trillions Inside SMSFs

In 2013, I said SMSFs would grow from $500 billion to over $1 trillion — and beyond.

That growth has happened faster than most people expected. SMSFs are now one of the largest pools of private retirement capital in Australia.

With that growth comes responsibility. More money inside fewer structures means more risk if things go wrong.

Video: https://youtube.com/shorts/SjuBGMlvXig?feature=share

🔹 The Rise of the Family Super Fund

One of my key messages back then was the importance of moving beyond a single-generation SMSF and building family super funds.

Bringing children and sometimes parents into the same fund allows:

• Intergenerational wealth planning
• Better trustee succession
• Earlier education for younger members
• Stronger control over long-term family assets

Today, multi-generational SMSFs are one of the fastest-growing segments in the sector.

🔹 The Risk Nobody Wanted to Talk About

In 2013, I also raised a sensitive but critical issue:What happens when trustees lose mental capacity?

Fast forward to today:

• Australia has an ageing population
• Dementia and cognitive decline are increasing
• Many SMSFs still have no succession plan

This is now one of the biggest legal and compliance risks in the system.

Without proper planning, families can lose control of their own super — or face expensive disputes and regulatory intervention.

🔹 The Next Decade Will Matter Even More

The next 10–20 years will see trillions transferred between generations through superannuation.

That makes:

• Trustee succession
• Binding death benefit nominations
• Family control structures
• Estate planning inside super

…more important than ever before.

What was once considered “advanced strategy” is now basic risk management.

🔹 Final Thought

Long-term wealth trends don’t happen overnight. They build quietly over decades.

This 2013 video is a reminder that planning early — and planning properly — is what protects families in the long run.

If you’re running an SMSF, or thinking about bringing family members into your fund, now is the time to make sure your structure is future-proof.

— Grant Abbott