James Coyle

James has over 35 years experience in financial services with particular expertise in two of the key components of retirement finance - Superannuation and the Age Pension. He is passionate about providing the guidance and support that can help older Australians enjoy their best possible retirement. He lives in regional Victoria surrounded by dogs and chooks.
Which investment maximises your Age Pension?

Which investment maximises your Age Pension?

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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 last three, unless you have real expertise in the field, but some people do it. 

There are pros and cons to each of these and many people combine them to help ensure a financially secure retirement.  Owning your own home and having money in super is a really good combination as both have tax advantages.

But what happens if you decide to put all your savings effort into just one of these? Centrelink will treat you very differently and could give you a different Age Pension entitlement.  Here’s how it can work.

Concession and health care cards update

Concession and health care cards update

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Most of us love a discount. And when the cost of living is persistently high, concession cards are worth their weight in gold. There are a range of discount and concession cards available to older Australians. But the rules change all too frequently. Here’s a comprehensive update of which cards you may be entitled to, how to get them and how to use them.

Not all cards are the same. There are many different organisation which issue cards for seniors and retirees. Some offer discounts or concessions, some are free and some require you to join an organisation to receive one. Let’s start with the cards issued by the Federal Government.

Loans in retirement: Is repayment really the best choice?

Loans in retirement: Is repayment really the best choice?

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One of the best things about writing articles and explainers for Retirement Essentials is the quality of the comments we receive in return. A recent article on the ‘classic dilemma’ of paying off debt or retaining a mortgage (but earning more in other ways) is an example. We received some great feedback from members on this topic. They pointed out that this option does not have to be an ‘all-in’ decision. Which has encouraged us to share their thoughts as well as a brief overview of the main decision-making points.

Our view is that there is rarely one right or one wrong approach to most things financial. The main reason is that at the heart of most financial decisions are emotional needs or concerns and lifestage needs which may often involve wrangling two different sets of priorities, should you happen to live as a couple. 

There really is no  one size fits all approach to debt management, hence our suggestions that you explore your options and if you are unsure, you seek further explanations, income projections or support from one of our experienced advisers. 

Here are some of the great comments we received on this topic, followed by an overview of ways to view your options.