More than one fifth of Australian retirees currently live in poverty, according to a recent report by The Australia Institute. Given that we are one of the richest nations in the world this is both disturbing and difficult to believe. Today we review these...
Here’s why most of us don’t Being set unrealistic targets is hardly likely to motivate anyone at any age. Yet this is often the case with retirement savings targets. Today we take a more realistic approach by using the factual ‘middle’ savings amounts for...
Alice’s move to a better place For many retirees, home is where they want to be - to be part of a community, to stay connected to friends and family, and to enjoy their independence. If you’re thinking about what the options are for you to...
It’s generally agreed that retirement is not a ‘set and forget’ proposition. On the one hand this can sound as though we need to continually monitor our situation. But the flipside of this is that it is literally never too late to change our settings and...
Picking the perfect retirement age Your retirement age is a very personal thing. Sometimes retirement is thrust upon us. We might lose our job or be forced to leave work due to ill health or caring responsibilities. Most people, however,...
Don’t make these classic errors A recent article (How fair is the Age Pension) prompted quite a few Retirement Essentials members to share their (not-so-good) experiences of downsizing. Here’s what you told us (edited for reasons of space): Helly says...
Discount and concession cards 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...
Transitioning to Retirement - something completely different Life’s about transitions….and retirement has got to be one of the biggest transitions of them all. It’s so different from working life, such an opportunity to do what you’ve dreamed about,...
But it can fund your longer retirement One of the world’s oldest medical journals – the British Medical Journal or BMJ – recently published statistics that reveal, when it comes to longer lives, Australians have won the lottery. The study, Life expectancy...