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.
How happy are you?

How happy are you?

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A couple of weeks ago I came across a Retirement Happiness Index.  This index, launched by Challenger on 4 April 2024 makes for interesting reading. It indicates Australian retirees have plenty to keep us busy and engaged, we feel mentally healthy, but we are a bit worried about our physical health and don’t feel financially secure.  Why not add your own insights to our version of this survey here.

The index was based on research conducted with over 1000 Australians aged over 60.  It identified six key areas which affect happiness in retirement.

Does this Age Pension rule need fixing?

Does this Age Pension rule need fixing?

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Last week we revealed a little known fact about the Age Pension – and that is, how very unfair the asset test rules are for renters and single renters in particular. We had a lot of media attention following the publication of this Age Pension anomaly. Our team has also had a lot of feedback on how this works. We’ve read your comments and had discussions about whether this inequity needs urgent attention.  

Our conclusion is that yes, the Age Pension rules do need to be altered – urgently – to ensure that all older Australians who apply for the Age Pension are treated equitably.

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.