Free RATs for concession card holders

Free RATs for concession card holders

Can you get free RATs test kits? It’s hard enough to keep up with frequent changes to health rules, let alone changes to your entitlements. So you may have missed the recent announcement of free rapid antigen tests (RATs) for all Australian concession card holders....
How to pay yourself in retirement

How to pay yourself in retirement

Three ways to fund yourself Many people assume retirement income comes down to being on a pension or not. But it’s not quite as clear cut as this. The recent Treasury Intergenerational Report (IGR) shows that about 65% of retirees will be on full or part Age Pensions,...
You probably haven’t got it covered

You probably haven’t got it covered

How can you know what you don’t know? There’s an old saying that an assumption is a gateway to a mistake. And thinking that your already know all the rules is a proposition that is worth challenging. There is a reason that the financial planning industry exists and...
Heading back to work?

Heading back to work?

Stopping retirement in 2022? Maybe you are planning on ‘unretiring’ in 2022. It could be because you need some extra income. Or because the type of work you want is now available. This is increasingly likely with Australian unemployment numbers heading much lower than...
Checking with an expert can help

Checking with an expert can help

Meet Nicole and Jodi With more than 50 years combined financial services experience, Nicole Bell and Jodi Seaton are just the right people to assist Retirement Essentials members with affordable financial advice. The team at Retirement Essentials realised quite some...
Centrelink debt changes

Centrelink debt changes

Not everyone is aware that they may have a Centrelink debt. The Department of Social Security (DSS) paused debt activity in August 2021 to alleviate hardship, with many parts of the country in lockdown due to the Delta outbreak. This pause is scheduled to be lifted...
Festive Season Support

Festive Season Support

Festive Season Checklist We’ve compiled a list for you of support offered for those in need at Christmas. This is by no means exhaustive – instead it’s a brief overview of some national organisations which may be able to help you during the holiday period if you...
Centrelink holiday hours

Centrelink holiday hours

When you need help and support it can be frustrating to find support services closed.  This is particularly the case over the Christmas New Year break.  To help you we have compiled this summary of Centrelink opening hours and reporting timetable. Centrelink will be...