This week we turn to the fourth pillar of retirement income – private savings. As we reported in our other story this week, a significant proportion of Retirement Essentials members (71%) reported that they are accessing private savings or investments as...
Can you beat inflation? - Highest price rises in 20 years Last Thursday, the long awaited Consumer Price Index (CPI) update for the March 2022 quarter was released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The graph below shows it all – a sharp spike in...
With last week’s headline inflation announcement of 5.1% per annum, it has become a matter of time before the Reserve Bank (RBA) responds by increasing the underlying cash rate of 0.1%. It’s no longer a question of if, but when. Rates will almost certainly...
Make sure your money lasts The most outstanding feature of Australia’s retirement income system has to be its complexity. During their working lives most people have managed just one source of income – their salary. If they have investments, this money...
So why are older Australians penalised for earning more? Current economic data confirms that Australia now has too few workers for jobs that urgently need to be done. With unemployment hovering around 4% and predicted to tighten further there are now jobs...
Is a secure income stream achievable? While there are many headlines promising to help you to ‘retire rich’, most Retirement Essentials members have different expectations. The majority tell us that ‘rich’ isn’t a believable goal. They simply wish to...
Are prices higher for retires? It’s logical to follow the quarterly and annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) changes to try to keep track of the price of household goods and services. If you did this you would believe that most Australians are subject to about...
Understanding return on investment (ROI) is very important when deciding where to put your hard earned retirement savings. Many retirees hold Australian shares. There are historic reasons why – they often became ‘default’ investors when societies such as AMP...
With record low interest rates many retirees may have felt very comfortable carrying a mortgage into retirement. The monthly repayments are as low as they’ve been for decades and it means that keeping a higher amount in super or cash deposits ensures ready...