by James Coyle | Aug 11, 2020 | Centrelink Age Pension
What is assessed as income? Working out your income for the Centrelink income tests isn’t as simple as looking at your payslip or a bank statement. Your total earnings from various sources, including what is known as “deemed” income, needs to be included. ...
by Alison Squire | Aug 10, 2020 | Centrelink Age Pension
When applying for the Age Pension an applicant must meet certain eligibility criteria; Residency Test Income Test Limits Assets Test Limits Whether the applicant is single or a couple is also taken into account. Couples have higher limits for the Income and...
by Jeremy Duffield | Aug 3, 2020 | Planning for Retirement
My mother Anne got me started in investing by buying me 100 shares of some long-forgotten mining company when I was 14 in the late ‘60s. Never made any money out of it but I did learn how to read the share pages. I probably learnt more by watching her...
by James Coyle | Jul 28, 2020 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) is one of the main concession cards issued to Australian retirees who do not qualify for the Age Pension and whose income is below the current thresholds. In order to qualify for the CSHC, you must be an Australian resident...
by James Coyle | Jul 28, 2020 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
There are many types of concession and healthcare cards available to help older Australians access discounts offered by governments, local councils, utility companies and private businesses. These discounts can amount to considerable savings over the year and can be...
by James Coyle | Jul 28, 2020 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
DID YOU KNOW: Having a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) can save you around $2,500 yearly on health care costs. In general, this includes: USEEstimated Savings p.a. Medicare Safety Net$1,200Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme$1,300 Note: This doesn’t include...
by James Coyle | Jul 15, 2020 | Retirement Spending
Jeremy Duffield – Chairman of Retirement Essentials In a recent letter, I asked which aspects of retirement finance were most important to you? Many people responded with a clear message: how much I can spend in retirement and how long the money would last...
by James Coyle | Jul 13, 2020 | Centrelink Age Pension
Perhaps the most frequent comment we receive concerns the different Age Pension entitlements received by singles and couples. Opinions are strongly divided on this issue however one sentiment is shared – The system isn’t fair. This week we have...
by James Coyle | Jul 1, 2020 | Centrelink Age Pension
New Age Pension Rates commenced today The new Age Pension rates for the Means Test commenced July 1st. This means Seniors can earn slightly more, or have slightly higher assets, before they start losing some of their Age Pension entitlements. Some of the changes...
by James Coyle | Jun 30, 2020 | Retirement Income
As we emerge from severe social lockdown following the global pandemic, it’s worth reflecting on what we’ve learnt. COVID-19 has been a dramatic shock to the system. To our life and to our finances. It reminded us of the need to be prepared for...
