There are two different ways to understand the concept of ‘financial hardship’: The official definition which is used by government agencies to assess whether you are eligible for extra or emergency support or special eligibility consideration. The...

A mature couple standing outside and thinking This is nobody’s business but your own, you may think. But when it comes to retirement there is a big dividend to be gained from knowing and responding to the rules. First up, it helps to know that you are...

Meet Nicole and Jodi With more than 50 years combined financial services experience, Nicole Bell and Jodi Seaton are just the right people to assist Retirement Essentials members with affordable financial advice. The team at Retirement Essentials realised...

Despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic, it seems that house prices and the cost of living have risen, as has the ASX All Ordinaries and super fund returns. The only thing not going up right now would seem to be interest rates. Here are some key...

And how to avoid them The team at Retirement Essentials has spent years helping our members to manage their retirement finances, particularly in regard to maximising their benefits and their ongoing income. Our experienced team provides daily support and...

Risk tolerance is a commonly used expression. Many assume it means that you are either a high risk or low risk investor. And that your rating is related only to returns. But this is not the case. Retirees and those planning retirement face a bewildering...

The Retirement Essentials team had a lively discussion this week about the most important elements of successful retirement income planning. And we all seemed to agree on something that is rarely discussed, but very powerful when it comes to making the most...

We sometimes get asked by our readers whether there is anything they can do before the end of the financial year to improve their income in retirement. Here are a couple that relate to superannuation. Adding money to super Some people might be in a position...

What do we mean by downsizing Downsizing typically refers to selling your home to live somewhere smaller and potentially cheaper. Many retirees will be faced with a decision as to whether this course of action will be best for them and we often talk to...