by James Coyle | Dec 20, 2021 | Retirement Advice
Despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic, it seems that house prices and the cost of living have risen, as has the ASX All Ordinaries and super fund returns. The only thing not going up right now would seem to be interest rates. Here are some key indicators for...
by James Coyle | Dec 17, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
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...
by James Coyle | Dec 17, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
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...
by James Coyle | Dec 15, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
This is a very common and important question because there are limits to how much you can give away without an impact on your payments. The limits are part of the gifting rules. Gifting rules apply not only to people who are already receiving the Age Pension, but also...
by James Coyle | Dec 8, 2021 | Centrelink Age Pension
Some things you can’t ‘untell’ Centrelink – Tips and traps for overseas travellers With international borders finally reopening many older Australians are keen to head overseas. But leaving Australia – particularly where you go and for how long – can have a...
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 ...
