by James Coyle | Dec 8, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
The Australian government offers a Pension Loans Scheme (PLS) to retirees who wish to access the equity in their home so that they can top up their retirement income. The scheme was first introduced in 1985 and expanded in 2019 to widen eligibility, and include...
by James Coyle | Dec 8, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
As you are aware, most older Australians can qualify for some type of entitlement. This might be a full or part Age Pension, a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, for those not on a pension, or other special government supplements. What tends to fly under the radar is...
by James Coyle | Dec 3, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
How Tom turned $6 into thousands The team at Retirement Essentials doesn’t believe in ‘get rich quick’ schemes. We’re more impressed by slow and steady wealth creation. But we do recognise the significant financial gains there are to be made by those who understand...
by James Coyle | Dec 3, 2021 | Planning for Retirement
How long will the family home remain exempt? It’s hard to avoid the extensive media coverage of property price increases. There’s a reason for this and that’s because the 6.7% increase in the June quarter this year was the largest since the Australian Bureau of...
by James Coyle | Dec 3, 2021 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Can you access this “gold” savings card? The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is often considered the gold standard of concession cards. It was first introduced in 1994 in order to give low income retirees who didn’t qualify for the Age Pension access to ...
by James Coyle | Nov 29, 2021 | Retirement Advice
And how to avoid them The team at Retirement Essentials has spent years helping our members to manage their retirement finances, particularly in regard to maximising their benefits and their ongoing income. Our experienced team provides daily support and this has...
by James Coyle | Nov 29, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
Retirement money mistake Number 5 can sometimes cost you the most. This happens when you don’t know what you don’t know and make decisions based on a poor understanding of the rules. Remember the excitement of turning 21? The best part of becoming an adult was the...
by James Coyle | Nov 29, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
Australian household debt is the highest in the world. And at an all-time high at the time of writing. The ratio of household spending to income is now above 200%. Yes that means on average people are spending double what they are earning. . How did we get here and...
by James Coyle | Nov 29, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
On January 1, 2017, there was a major change in the assets test for those on an Age Pension. Whilst the assets test threshold increased (the good news), the taper rate doubled, meaning that those on a part pension, with assets over the threshold, lost their...
by James Coyle | Nov 29, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
The first big mistake is assume you are not entitled to anything. Two thirds of Australians will be entitled to a full or part Age Pension at some stage in their life. And for the remaining third of Australians who do not currently qualify, at least half will qualify...
