Christmas and Centrelink

Christmas and Centrelink

What you need to know Are you one of the three-quarters of senior Australians who receives a full or part Age Pension payment? If so, it will help to know Centrelink availability, payment and reporting dates over the coming Christmas and New Year holiday period. ...
Hidden benefits of downsizing:

Hidden benefits of downsizing:

Income boosts from home equity The family home remains the single greatest source of wealth for most retirees – that fortunate 80% who live in their own dwelling. Superannuation is a more easily accessible form of wealth, but the money locked up in our homes can be...
Worse off financially than 12 months ago

Worse off financially than 12 months ago

Retirement Pulse reports most think they are worse off financially than 12 months ago The Retirement Essentials’ November 2022 Retirement Pulse posed the question: Do you agree or disagree with this statement: ‘I feel better off financially that I did 12 months ago’ ...
Confidence to stop work

Confidence to stop work

…by projecting future income It’s great to learn that you’ve got your sums wrong, if this means that you can now retire sooner than you thought. This happened a couple of weeks back with Jenny and Kumar. They’re currently aged 68 and 69 and are keen to stop work and...
Fear of missing out:

Fear of missing out:

Three things you can do FOMO and FONK are well documented. Fear of Missing Out and Fear of Not Knowing can guide human behaviour in dramatic ways. But beyond the more superficial social media application, these sentiments are very relevant for retirees. The tough fact...
Living longer is great news

Living longer is great news

Or is it? Despite the impacts of Covid, life expectancy for Australian men and women continues to increase. But many retirees can feel conflicted when they hear about increased longevity. This is prompted by the worry that their money will run out. Whilst that’s...
Are you a mortgage prisoner?

Are you a mortgage prisoner?

Are you a mortgage prisoner? Facing up to (difficult) facts Like Jodie and Steve, it’s easy to feel trapped. Many of us often feel this way when facing the seemingly relentless need to service a home loan. But some borrowers are literally trapped. These homeowners are...
Max needs more time

Max needs more time

And the winner is: Max who needs more time We’ve been delighted with the volume and depth of responses to the inaugural Retirement Essentials Retirement Pulse survey, launched in October. You may recall we asked you to share the issue or question you would most like...