Here’s what Bob, Ibrahim and Monica found out There are many ways of saving for your retirement. You can pay off your home, put money into super, an investment property or managed funds. Perhaps invest in art, cars or fine wine. I’m not a big fan of those...
The twice-yearly Age Pension indexation has now been announced with changes due to start on 20 September 2025. The tables below show the changes which affect retirees, as confirmed by the Department of Social Security (DSS) on 19 August. The new...
Deeming is central to how Centrelink calculates Age Pension entitlements, but it’s often misunderstood. Whether your investments earn less (or more) than expected, deeming assumes a standard rate of return – which can affect your pension. Here are three...
How does Centrelink assess your investment property earnings? Owning an investment property can be a great way to boost your retirement income. And about one in five Australian households owns a property beyond their main home (ABS, 2019–20). So this is...
The Age Pension payment changes on 20 September could mean so much more than a few extra dollars. Here’s how to use this trigger to maximise your income sooner rather than later. As we advised late last month, 20 September will deliver a fortnightly $29.70...
Many people like to help family members financially. While gifting can be a meaningful way to support loved ones, it can also have unintended consequences for current or future Age Pension entitlements. Centrelink has strict rules on how much you can...
What would you do if you won a lottery prize of $766,000? That's a life-changing amount of money for most people. What if you found out you could be entitled to even more – over $1.1 million? The good news is you don't need a winning ticket to receive that...
Some of the best Age Pension questions we receive at Retirement Essentials come not from people already at eligibility age, but from those in their early-to-mid 60s, planning for what’s ahead. Whether it’s deciding how to spend super before age 67, shifting...
Owen, 69, had been looking forward to sharing weekends with Laila, 60 – gardening, travel, and the small routines that come with building a life together. But before Laila moved in, Owen wanted to know one practical thing: how would his Age Pension change...