Sharing money with your loved ones has to be one of life’s greatest joys. But being penalised for doing so seems a bit unfair. We’ve recently received many questions about gifting and loans. Maybe its associated with rising cost of living and general housing...
Deeming rates are no longer such a hot topic of conversation amongst retirees. And there’s a good reason for that. Going back a couple of years, they were a constant source of frustration. This frustration has largely evaporated. That’s because, during...
Recent news reports that over-65s are better off living in New Zealand gained a lot of attention. And yes, in part, this is true. The freedom for older New Zealanders to work as much as they like and not lose their pension is particularly appealing for many...
Many older Australians would love to receive a Universal Pension – one that is simply paid to everyone above age 67 without the need to go through torturous income and asset reporting. But these two tests are the mainstay of Age Pension eligibility. Today we...
Cost of living is an issue top of mind for most Australians. Last week’s higher inflation rate was a stark reminder just how much we are now paying for essentials. So it’s timely that a seniors advocacy group should suggest a solution for those doing it...
Our adviser, Megan Marshall had a big win last week. This happened when she helped Fiona to increase her Age Pension entitlement from $506 to $916. That’s an extra $410 a fortnight. It’s such a large increase that we wanted to share how this could happen....
Life happens. Divorce, floods, leaving work are all triggers for changes in your financial situation. And your entitlements. Most of us benefit from learning from those who have gone before in all sorts of life changing events. Today we share some of the...
What would it take to make you want to work again? Higher wages? Manageable hours? Or a guarantee that your benefits and entitlements would not be jeopardised? Or maybe all of the above? In short, what would it take to lure you back into the workforce?...
Recent research from financial services provider, AMP, reports that 70% of Australians do not know what an Account-Based Pension is. We doubt this is the case with Retirement Essentials members, but it was a handy reminder that the complexity of many aspects...