Self Managed Super Funds Professionals Association of Australia (SPAA) has signed its 1000th member this month.
“We would like to reach 2000 in the next 18 months to two years,” SPAA chief executive Andrea Slattery said.
At the end of the association’s first year there were 135 members. The numbers almost tripled in the second year to 380 and by the end of year three there were 620 members.
The association began in South Australia with Slattery in an office on her own. There are now seven employees with another two to start working in the secretariat in early 2008.
About 140 members serve SPAA around Australia in state chapters and national committees.
To join SPAA, prospective members must have an undergraduate degree or equivalent and be working in the industry for two years.
This would enable them to become a general member – from here they would need to work towards a specialist designation – either as a specialist adviser or a financial auditor (post-graduate).
“We also require all members to be members of another professional organisation. For example, an accountant must be a member of one of the accounting bodies, or a financial planner must be a member of one of those organisations,” Slattery said.
