by James Coyle | Feb 18, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
It’s easy to become confused when trying to understand how your assets might affect your retirement income. Are they personal assets? Assessable assets? Or deemable assets? There are many ways of defining assets, and there can be a lot at stake if you misunderstand or...
by James Coyle | Feb 18, 2022 | Planning for Retirement
Recent ASIC research shows that only one quarter of Australians have received financial advice in the past, but 41% intend to seek it in the future. One factor was cost, with 35% believing such advice was too expensive, whilst another impediment was a lack of trust,...
by James Coyle | Feb 18, 2022 | Retirement Income
On February 10 the much-delayed Enhancing Superannuation Outcomes Bill was passed by the Federal Parliament and will come into effect on the 1st July 2022. There are two important features of this legislation that you need to know. Firstly, all your wage or salary...
by James Coyle | Feb 11, 2022 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Concession Cards are the icing on the cake when it comes to retirement income. The rate of a full Age Pension has been measured as subsistence level, not much more, according to the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS). Many part Age Pensioners also find that...
by James Coyle | Feb 11, 2022 | Retirement Income
When it comes to money! Valentines Day has now widened from a celebration of ‘coupledom’ to a chance to acknowledge all kinds of love – for family, friends, even pets. This means it’s now a day for everyone, not just those ‘in a relationship’. It did get us thinking,...
by James Coyle | Feb 11, 2022 | Retirement Income
Emergency money. Enough cash in times of trouble. However you describe such money, there’s a lot to consider about the way you manage this aspect of your finances. Low interest rates are dominating the headlines right now. This can lead to a questioning of how much...
by James Coyle | Feb 4, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
The Australian Age Pension is reviewed, or indexed, twice a year, with payments adjusted on March 20 and September 20. A small increase is usually made to both the Maximum Benefit Rate (base rate of the Age Pension) as well as the Age Pension supplement which combine...
by James Coyle | Feb 4, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
The Age Pension is often thought of as a single payment, but in fact there are two, sometimes three payments that combine to create this fortnightly income stream. These are called supplements and they are a regular extra payment for utility, phone, internet and...
by James Coyle | Feb 3, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
Explaining retirement lump sums and how they work is not nearly as simple as it sounds. Yes, there is a straightforward definition from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) – a lump-sum is an amount paid all at once, as opposed to an amount that is divvied up and paid in...
by James Coyle | Feb 1, 2022 | Centrelink Age Pension
We chatted to one of our customers, Tim Bridge (66-year-old retiree from Glendale NSW) and his wife, Bronwyn about their experience applying for the Age Pension. Here is Tim’s story. “We thought it was a complete ‘no-go’. We thought we were not eligible for the Age...
