Many people want to supplement their income with a bit of paid work after retiring from full time work. So, we can think about working – after full time work– as the (optional) fifth pillar of retirement. For our clients over 65, we find that a...
Retirement Income Articles
A user’s guide to the Home Equity Access Scheme (HEAS)
Is this the income top up you need? Using home equity as a retirement income seems to be the last well kept secret. But that, too, is changing as more industry commentators scrutinise the home wealth access products on the market and conclude that they do...
The Age Pension is the Foundation of Retirement Income
Keeping Retirement Simple – Part 5 Even if you don’t get it yet, the Age Pension is key to retirement planning for most people in Australia. Over half of older Australians get more than half their retirement income from the Age Pension. And...
Earning your way with super and your savings
Keeping Retirement Simple – Part 3 In the last Keeping Retirement Simple article, we discussed how your retirement horizon impacted the amount you can afford to spend. The longer you need to plan for, the less you can afford to spend each...
Retirement income certainty: Is this achievable?
And should you be ‘pushed’ into a retirement income product. Would that be in your best interests? At the heart of most retirement wants lies the desire to have a strong degree of control, in the form of a secure, dependable retirement income. No surprises...
Lifetime income streams: Do they guarantee money for life?
If you’re a 65-year old male reading this article you stand a good chance of living until at least 85.3 years. If you’re a female of the same age, you’re likely to get more than 20 years, with life expectancy of 88 (Australian Institute of Health and...
Keeping it simple: Investing for retirement income
Sometimes the best plans are simple and straightforward. Although retirement rules are complex, your retirement investments don’t need to be. You can create a great retirement plan –delivering the lifestyle you want and can afford – with just the...
Getting the best return on cash
Cutting through confusion and complexity Assumptions are a gateway to a mistake, so the saying goes. Despite this, many of us are still prone to making assumptions or veering into denial about financial decisions when it all feels too hard or too...
Should Craig retire completely or go part-time?
Nicole answers Craig’s dilemma This week we talk to adviser, Nicole Bell, who spends her time working with Retirement Essentials members to help them get better financial outcomes. She recently spent time with Craig, who is 69, currently working full-time,...