More insights from the Government’s Retirement Income Review Everyone’s different in retirement. And how much you need is really a question to be decided personally. But we’ve all got a bit of “sticky-beak” streak and are interested in what others think they need. ...
“Start with the facts.” That was the motto of the government’s recently released review of the Australian retirement system. Don’t come up with policy recommendations; just give us the fact base to think about. A lot of the news media coverage of the review has...
The inventor of weather forecasting, Admiral Robert FitzRoy, was motivated by the desire to stop shipwrecks off the coast of Britain. He established the first weather bureau in 1854….but was mocked for his forecasts and eventually took his own life in the 1860s. ...
The problem with cash. “We can’t live off that!” Retirees are only too well aware how far interest rates have dropped. The decline has been great for younger people paying off mortgages, but terrible for people funding retirement spending from bank account interest....
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 customers that...
We asked – This is what you told us A few weeks ago we asked our readers what they thought about the idea of a universal age pension. The results were overwhelming. More people responded to the survey and commented on our article than any other piece we have...
Many of our customers have asked us this question. As life expectancy increases it is no longer unusual for people to receive an inheritance much later in life. If you do receive a lump sum inheritance, or any lump sum, you need to be aware of a few important factors....
What’s happening with deeming rates? Interests rates are now at record lows with the Reserve Bank cutting the official rate to just 0.1%. Deeming rates are now also the lowest they have ever been. The lower threshold is at 0.25% with the upper deeming rate of 2.25%...
Can you increase your income and entitlements in retirement? Last week we covered a couple of simple things people might want to consider to improve their Age Pension entitlements. Namely, paying off a mortgage, renovating the family home and gifting. Here are some...
Optimising your pension Many of our customers often wonder why they don’t get as much Age Pension as their friends. The obvious reason is that their financial circumstances are different but often people aren’t aware of some simple things that could change their...
