by James Coyle | Apr 19, 2023 | Superannuation
How super is taxed? Is this about to change? Respected think tank, The Grattan Institute, has released a report suggesting that all super be taxed in order to create a fairer and more sustainable retirement income system. The report released earlier this month, Super...
by James Coyle | Apr 19, 2023 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card: We recently reminded you not to miss out on the benefits of a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. We projected that almost one million retirees would now be eligible. In our overview of the benefits of the card and how to make an easy...
by James Coyle | Apr 19, 2023 | Centrelink Age Pension
What Centrelink can do And what it can’t Recent reports on Centrelink surveillance of clients have rung alarm bells. It’s easy, as a recipient of government benefits, to feel powerless in the face of a large bureaucracy. You are not powerless. In fact, as the recent...
by James Coyle | Apr 14, 2023 | Centrelink Age Pension
What you don’t know … … might be hurting your finances We’re always seeking insights into ways to help our members maximise their retirement savings and income. But what you don’t know might be hurting your finances. What often comes up in advice appointments is...
by James Coyle | Apr 14, 2023 | Centrelink Age Pension
Means testing just got simpler: Here’s how it works The application of the Age Pension means test to your income or assets means the difference between a higher or lower pension payment – or whether you receive one at all. We know the very term ‘taper rates’ is...
by James Coyle | Apr 14, 2023 | Centrelink Age Pension
Should your home… …be exempt from the assets test? It’s no surprise that just over three-quarters of retirees own their own homes; traditionally Australians have had a love affair with home ownership. What is surprising is that the value of the home in retirement is...
by James Coyle | Apr 5, 2023 | Centrelink Age Pension
A recent popular article on the way asset test changes mean more older Australians are now eligible for the Age Pension provoked a lot of interest. Today we look at the other side of the equation – the March 20 changes to the incomes test thresholds. When people reach...
by James Coyle | Apr 5, 2023 | Centrelink Age Pension
Single versus couple pension payments: Are they fair? When there is a widely experienced cost of living crisis, it’s only natural to have concerns about whether your income is keeping up with the increases. It’s also fair to ask, as a single or couple recipient of an...
by James Coyle | Apr 5, 2023 | Planning for Retirement, Retirement Income
Rating your financial performance: But the game’s far from over The March Retirement Essentials Retirement Pulse has once again provided us with many useful insights into your thoughts on maximising retirement income. One question in particular: If there was one thing...
by James Coyle | Mar 30, 2023 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Easy extra money: Are you still missing out? James ran a ‘back of the envelope’ exercise the other day and surprised most members of our team with his conclusion that nearly 800,000 self-funded retirees are going without. This also left us wondering why are so many...
