We hear of many people that don’t apply for the age pension because they don’t think it is worth it. “I’ll probably only get a few dollars so it’s not worth the effort” is a common refrain. What many people don’t consider are all the fantastic benefits you receive...
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 to add...
One in five of the people we see still have a mortgage on their home. Many of them also have money in the bank, super or some other investments. For part pensioners this can sometimes be costly. This is because most part pensioners, and those that aren’t eligible...
The Pension Loan Scheme (PLS) was enhanced in the budget last week. Many of our readers have asked that we tell them a bit more about how this works. So what is it? The Pension Loan Scheme allows people to top up to an amount of up to 150 per cent – or 1.5 times –...
The 2021 Federal Budget The 2021 Federal budget has promised a number of funding increases to help boost the economy. Several of the initiatives will benefit senior Australians by providing better access to support services and also enabling many to top up their...
We are a diverse lot in Australia and there will be lots of opinions about what the Treasurer should include in the Federal budget. While we don’t have any inside knowledge we do hear from a lot of our customers and colleagues in the industry. So what are some of the...
Centrelink have announced changes to the Age Pension payment rates and also to the income and asset thresholds. This means more money in the pockets of Australian Seniors. So what are the changes? Pension Rates The full Age Pension rate for a single person,...
The Age Pension gets better Some things just get better with age. Some cheeses, great Australian red wines, and the Age Pension. How’s that, you ask More people are eligible at older ages. And many people move to a higher Age Pension as they age and spend down their...
One of the things I like about Noel Whittaker’s latest book, Retirement Made Simple, is his description of retirement as a journey. “I think journey is the perfect word,” he says, “because it has the connotations of a desired destination and all sorts of adventures...
Three weeks ago we asked our readers “What advice would you give to others nearing or in retirement?”. Thank you all so much for your contributions. We will share some with you today and over the forthcoming weeks. Have a plan to keep active and engaged For many,...
