The Aged Care Taskforce report was finally released in mid-March. It answered some difficult questions and raised a whole lot more. The goal of the taskforce was to consider how aged care services might be funded more equitably and sustainably. Shortly...
Many Australians, women in particular, enter retirement with relatively small superannuation balances. So when we write about super, and some of the great benefits of having money in super, we often get questions about how to boost your super. Take this...
Australian super fund returns for Calendar Year 2023 were robust, with an average 9.6% return reported for balanced funds. But not all super funds deliver in the same way. And somewhat ironically, the category called ‘Choice’ funds has been called out for...
On 1 July the limits on super contributions will increase. This increase will apply to both concessional and non-concessional super contributions, so there’s something in this for everyone. It’s the first such rise in contribution limits for three years, so...
There has been a veritable deluge of research, insights and survey findings about retirement funding in recent times. With nearly 700 Australians retiring on a daily basis, this is unsurprising. Retirement does indeed seem to be ‘the new black’. But the more...
Help, I’m 76 and want to contribute more to my super, but I’ve been told I can’t! This was the cry for help we received from Albert last week. He’s just turned 76 and came into some money unexpectedly, through a lottery win. He’s decided he doesn’t have...
Staying the course has long been the preferred option for superstar investors like Warren Buffet and Vanguard founder, Jack Bogle. What does this mean? It means taking a long term perspective on your investments. This can be easier said than done during a...
Some government reports can be as dry as dust, particularly those covering the finer points of superannuation legislation. The good news is that members of our team at Retirement Essentials read all the reports and legislation changes so you don’t have to!...
The summer break presents a great time to slow down, think and catch up on many things we’re too busy with during the year. One of them is our finances. We know from our members that many find superannuation too confusing for words. So today we’re taking the...