The Age Pension remains the backbone of Australia’s retirement income system. It was first legislated in 1908 when life expectancy for men exceeded the pension age of 65. Women were only added to these entitlements two years later, but could qualify...
If you are worried about the effect rising energy prices are having on your household budget, you’re not alone. Research from the Energy Consumers Australia confirms that a majority of Australians (56%) believe energy will be unaffordable within three years....
Everything you need to know You may be one of the 70% of older Australians who receives a full or part Age Pension or a DVA payment. If so, here’s a handy summary of Centrelink availability over the coming Christmas and New Year holiday period, with all...
This past week, a casual conversation with adviser, Megan Marshal, totally nailed the difficulty of managing retirement income. ‘Understanding the rules is the hardest thing for most people’, Megan said, ‘Particularly making connections between the...
It’s estimated that many retirees who have delayed applying for the Age Pension are missing out on an average total amount of $69,000. We highlighted how this had happened to Geoff in August. The reason that he had missed out was that he was initially a self...
How and when should you commence an income stream from your super as you move towards retirement? Starting an Account-Based Pension (ABP) is a major step in anyone’s retirement journey. Getting the timing right is very important. So too is judging the...
Sharing money with your loved ones has to be one of life’s greatest joys. But being penalised for doing so seems a bit unfair. We’ve recently received many questions about gifting and loans. Maybe its associated with rising cost of living and general housing...
Deeming rates are no longer such a hot topic of conversation amongst retirees. And there’s a good reason for that. Going back a couple of years, they were a constant source of frustration. This frustration has largely evaporated. That’s because, during...
Recent news reports that over-65s are better off living in New Zealand gained a lot of attention. And yes, in part, this is true. The freedom for older New Zealanders to work as much as they like and not lose their pension is particularly appealing for many...