Are you sure your self-managed super fund is actually compliant?

In this episode of Wine & Wisdom, Wills and Estates lawyer Danielle Little is joined by David Taylor, Private Client Advisor at Morgans Edward Street, to unpack one of the most under-appreciated risks in personal financial planning: SMSF compliance.

With over a decade at Morgans and SMSFs as a core focus of his practice, David shares a recent case where he took over a self-managed super fund originally established by an accountant - only to find a binding death benefit nomination that had lapsed nearly four years earlier, and no documented investment strategy at all.

Both fundamental compliance issues - and both are frighteningly common.

David and Danielle discuss:

• Why so many "DIY" self-managed super funds fall short of compliance requirements
• The estate planning implications of lapsed binding death benefit nominations
• What ATO non-compliance can actually cost you
• Why ongoing professional advice for SMSFs is closer to a regular health check than a one-off setup

An honest, practical conversation for anyone with an SMSF - or thinking about setting one up.

A special impromptu episode of Wine & Wisdom, recorded on a hotel couch after a recent law conference.

Wills and Estates lawyer Danielle Little is joined by Chris Herrald (Director, Extension Legal) and Chelsea Baker (Director, Baker Hastings Lawyers) - both also founders of The Succession Studio - to unpack the early implications of the 2026 Federal Budget for discretionary trusts and testamentary trusts.

Clients are already calling with questions:

* Should estate plans currently in progress continue?

* Will testamentary discretionary trusts be caught up in the changes?

* What do we actually know at this stage?

In a candid, practitioner-to-practitioner conversation, the three discuss:

• Why it's genuinely early days - no draft legislation has been released
• The likely industry advocacy around testamentary trusts and family protection
• Why testamentary discretionary trusts remain a powerful estate planning tool regardless of tax treatment - particularly for protecting minors, business-owning beneficiaries, vulnerable family members, and beneficiaries facing relationship or spendthrift risks
• What estate planning clients should do in the meantime

An honest, considered conversation between three succession law practitioners trying to make sense of a moving picture - in real time, over a glass.

What happens financially when a spouse or partner suddenly passes away?

In this first episode of Wine & Wisdom, Danielle Little is joined by personal insurance expert Anthony Brown of Fintego Advisory to unpack one of life's most avoided conversations: making sure your family is financially protected if the worst happens.

Drawing on her experience as a Wills and Estates lawyer working with grieving families, Danielle has seen first hand how quickly a difficult time can become a financial crisis when insurance coverage isn't right.

Danielle and Anthony discuss:

• The real world impact of being underinsured (and overinsured)
• How to think about life insurance, TPD, income protection and trauma cover
• How often you should review your coverage
• Danielle's own personal experience navigating these decisions

An honest, practical conversation for anyone with a family, a mortgage, or a business - and for anyone who's been meaning to "sort out the insurance thing" but hasn't gotten around to it.