Reduced confidence in the Australian share market appears to be a core driver of the change, with 25 per cent of trustees saying they negatively view Australian shares, compared to only 11 per cent in 2015.

However, while adopting a new investment approach is a focus, trustees are spending an average of only 3.4 hours per month researching and selecting their SMSF investments, a decline of eight per cent compared to 2015.

“We’re seeing an increasing number of trustees wanting investment options that improve their fund’s diversification. However, 83 per cent of investors say they face difficulty managing their SMSF, including a lack of time to research and select the right investments,” said AMP Capital’s head of self-directed wealth and SMSF, Tim Keegan.

“Our research found that 61 per cent of trustees are open to seeking professional advice, which has increased from 46 per cent in 2015,” he added.

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