by James Coyle | May 23, 2022 | Planning for Retirement
Whether you live in the sunny north or chilly south in our wide brown land, flu season is officially upon us, so it’s important to protect your health as rigorously as possible. With so much attention given to the Covid-19 epidemic, it’s easy to overlook the fact that...
by James Coyle | May 23, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
And why does Centrelink care? A few weeks ago we recounted how the gifting rules worked for Mary, Jeffrey and Hannah. We received a lot of questions from members who were totally confused as to whether they had loaned or gifted money to family and friends. And some...
by James Coyle | May 23, 2022 | Superannuation
As we’ve noted already, there was a huge focus on superannuation in the last week of the election campaign, in particular, the change in the ‘downsizing’ rules. This proposal would mean that those wishing to put extra money into super, from the sale of a home, can do...
by James Coyle | May 13, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
Is it even doable? Our main topic this week shared the many ways that wealth in the home can be used to increase retirement income. But not everyone owns a home and those who don’t deserve support to fully understand all their options as well. It was once a rule of...
by James Coyle | May 13, 2022 | Planning for Retirement
As we head into the final week of the Federal Election campaign, many voters by now will be totally ‘over’ the promises, the rhetoric and the shouty debates. Yet many older Australians are also keenly interested in understanding the policy detail that affects them the...
by James Coyle | May 12, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
… and mortgage in retirement Boosting your retirement income is the main aim for most retirees. In this, the second part of our 5-part series on the retirement income pillars, we detail the many ways your family home can offer both security and increased income...
by James Coyle | May 5, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
Five things you may not know Last week we introduced you to the concept of the five pillars in retirement; the major sources of support that ensure income and financial wellbeing post-work. These are: The Age Pension superannuation the primary residence savings and...
by James Coyle | May 5, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
A promise to freeze deeming rates gives two years of income certainty The increase in interest rates is a mixed blessing for retirees. Higher rates are a negative for those still paying down a mortgage. They are a positive, however, if you are depending upon interest...
by James Coyle | May 5, 2022 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Big win for 50,000 retirees In a surprise announcement last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison shared an expansion of the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) for 50,000 self-funded retirees over the next four years. This will be done by increasing eligibility for...
by James Coyle | Apr 29, 2022 | Retirement Income
Can you beat inflation? – Highest price rises in 20 years Last Thursday, the long awaited Consumer Price Index (CPI) update for the March 2022 quarter was released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The graph below shows it all – a sharp spike in...
