There has been a multitude of reports and reviews into financial advice.  Whilst the intentions are no doubt honourable, some of them can seem long winded or incomprehensible to ordinary Australians who are trying to wrangle living expenses as they...

Easy summer reading list: Time to relax, read and reflect! We don’t know about you, but one of our favourite things at this time of the year is the prospect of days in the sun, reading and reading and reading. We checked with the team and many have long...

How to manage debt in retirement A common view of retirees is that of people who live in their own  (fully paid-off) homes, with no debt and the ability to do whatever they want, whenever they please. Those who have already retired may find this amusing,...

How to find your sweet spot Retirement Essentials’ financial adviser, Nicole, says that risk tolerance to her is about the difference between anxiety and peace of mind. ‘When I talk to clients about it I often refer to the 'sleep test' in retirement - if...

Can the right advice help you get a life? It did in Laurie’s case. A divorced 64-year-old painter, Laurie is tired of working full-time, but he needs his full-time salary – or the equivalent – to live an enjoyable life. His daughter wants him to spend more...

Need a retirement top-up? In today’s Jargonbuster we look at the different types of home equity access. This is a complex topic as there are many different types of home equity available for retirees – and each type varies in features, upsides, downsides and...

There are two different ways to understand the concept of ‘financial hardship’: The official definition which is used by government agencies to assess whether you are eligible for extra or emergency support or special eligibility consideration. The...

A mature couple standing outside and thinking This is nobody’s business but your own, you may think. But when it comes to retirement there is a big dividend to be gained from knowing and responding to the rules. First up, it helps to know that you are...

Meet Nicole and Jodi With more than 50 years combined financial services experience, Nicole Bell and Jodi Seaton are just the right people to assist Retirement Essentials members with affordable financial advice. The team at Retirement Essentials realised...