The average processing time for claims with Services Australia has continued to rise steadily since the start of the decade. Services Australia chief executive officer David Hazlehurst reported the latest numbers at the Senate Estimates meeting last week...
Can Age Pensioners ever save? This is a topic that comes up a lot. Because the primary source of income for nearly 70% of retirees is a full or part Age Pension, the ‘liveability’ of the pension is of critical importance. But one Age Pensioner may bear...
Most of us can cope with adversity if it doesn’t arrive as a total surprise. Knowing what’s coming is often the best way to put plans in place to mitigate financial shocks. That’s why the subject of deeming rates needs to raised. All’s been quiet on this...
We enjoy receiving member questions for a range of reasons. The main one is because our whole team wants to help Australians maximise their retirement income and answering tricky questions is one way of doing this. But another reason why we value the...
You may recall our article in December which shared tips from Steven Sadler? We asked him what works best when dealing with Centrelink and he responded with some really useful insights into how to progress your Centrelink interactions, including the best...
Australian society is witnessing the greatest intergenerational transfer of wealth ever seen. According to McCrindle Research, an estimated $3 trillion will be bequeathed to adult children over the next two decades. We don’t all have parents like the driven,...
By the time you read this newsletter new Work Bonus rules will be in place. Will you benefit from this? And if so what does this mean for your entitlements? Today we have a handy facts sheet on rules about income limits including employment earnings. The way...
Meet Steven Sadler We call Steven our Retirement Essentials’ Guru for many reasons. We recently interviewed him so you can understand why he got this name. It’s the first of four interviews with our advisers Megan, Nicole and Sharon and Steven, who is Head...
The Age Pension remains the backbone of Australia’s retirement income system. It was first legislated in 1908 when life expectancy for men exceeded the pension age of 65. Women were only added to these entitlements two years later, but could qualify...