When it comes to retirement, entitlements is a term we hear a lot, but it can also be misunderstood. Many people believe that retirement entitlements are confined to government benefits, specifically the Age Pension the associated Pension Concession Card....
Simple sums that share the rules The Retirement Essentials advice team is currently handling a lot of questions about Age Pension eligibility and the gifting of money or possessions to family members. At one level, the rules are fairly straightforward. But...
Here’s what you’ll get The twice-yearly Age Pension indexation is due to increase 20 September. This Age Pension increase is much higher than the one that was awarded in March this year ($19.60 for singles and $29.40 for couples). We reported on 8 August our...
How non-millionaires .. Can enjoy the road trip of a lifetime I was listening to the radio the other day and a woman phoned the ‘Australia all over’ program to speak with Macca. She told host, Ian McNamara, how she and her husband were on a boat, moored off...
A few years ago there was a terrific public safety advertising campaign developed by Metro Trains in Victoria called Dumb ways to die. It was designed to promote railway safety and became the world’s most shared public awareness campaign. It also spawned a...
With Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Pensioner Beneficiary Living Cost Index increases (PBLCI) now published, we are able to predict the most likely increases to the Age Pension on 20 September 2024. We believe this pay rise for retirees will be $26.54...
Sooner or later you will probably have to deal with Centrelink. This statement shouldn’t strike fear into anyone’s heart, but it often does. Why? You will be dealing with public servants whose wages you, as a taxpayer, fund. Yet many individuals will run a...
A bold initiative from the Actuaries Institute proposes that the family home should now be included in the assets test. It’s far from the first time this policy has been suggested – and it probably won’t be the last. But is it an idea worth considering? A...
But how will this work for you? As you no doubt know the income and asset limits for full and part-Age Pensions were increased on 1 July this year. This is good news for many Australians who may have almost qualified for the Age Pension. It also means a...