by James Coyle | May 14, 2024 | Planning for Retirement
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has handed down the May 2024-2025 Federal Budget. There weren’t a lot of surprises but there are a couple of nice bonuses for older Australians. Before we start, it’s important to note that these are only...
by Kaye Fallick | May 10, 2024 | Superannuation
With the approach of the end of the financial year (EOFY) there’s a lot going on. Many retirees are watching and waiting to learn of any 1 July changes to deeming rates which have been frozen since July 2022. It’s anybody’s guess what will happen next, but higher...
by James Coyle | May 10, 2024 | Planning for Retirement
There was great feedback on our article about peak retirement a few weeks ago. It seems that many Retirement Essentials members are planning on working longer, but not necessarily harder! As a consequence, our advisers have had many consultations helping both singles...
by James Coyle | May 2, 2024 | Retirement Advice
The most outstanding feature of Australia’s retirement income system has to be its complexity. During their working lives most people have managed just one source of income – their salary. If they have investments, this money typically adds to savings. But in...
by Kaye Fallick | May 2, 2024 | Retirement Income
And should you be ‘pushed’ into a retirement income product. Would that be in your best interests? At the heart of most retirement wants lies the desire to have a strong degree of control, in the form of a secure, dependable retirement income. No surprises here....
by James Coyle | May 2, 2024 | Retirement Advice
Currently about 76% of Australian retirees own their own homes. About 13% of these retirees still have a mortgage. These ratios are set to change dramatically over the next 10-15 years, with more than 50% of those currently aged 55-60 carrying mortgages, interest...
by Kaye Fallick | Apr 26, 2024 | Planning for Retirement
More older Australians are staying in work for longer, creating a new ‘peak’ retirement age, according to a new KPMG report. Analysis by KPMG Urban Economist, Terry Rawnsley, suggests that Australian workers are retiring at their oldest age since the 1970s. This...
by Kaye Fallick | Apr 26, 2024 | Centrelink Age Pension
Recent Treasury information revealed that 84% of retirement savings is held in Account-Based (or allocated) pensions. Yet responses to a survey conducted by AMP suggested that 70% of over 50-year-olds do not understand what an Account-Based Pension (ABP) is. How can...
by James Coyle | Apr 18, 2024 | Retirement Advice
A couple of weeks ago I came across a Retirement Happiness Index. This index, launched by Challenger on 4 April 2024 makes for interesting reading. It indicates Australian retirees have plenty to keep us busy and engaged, we feel mentally healthy, but we are a bit...
by James Coyle | Apr 18, 2024 | Centrelink Age Pension
Last week we revealed a little known fact about the Age Pension – and that is, how very unfair the asset test rules are for renters and single renters in particular. We had a lot of media attention following the publication of this Age Pension anomaly. Our team has...
