Government support in retirement

  Government support in retirement What is the Age Pension? The purpose of the Age Pension is to make sure you have enough income in retirement. It is a fortnightly payment made by the government to help you meet the cost of living, if your retirement savings are below a certain level….     Read More>>>   Download the free PDF file

Maintaining your lifestyle

Maintaining your lifestyle What is retirement income? During your working life you receive regular income in the form of a salary or business income. In retirement, this regular income stops, so you need to draw on your savings to meet your lifestyle costs. You set up your savings so you still receive regular payments, just like a salary. This is called a ‘retirement income stream’. The type of income stream you can start at retirement …

How do transition to retirement strategies work?

How do transition to retirement strategies work? A transition to retirement strategy could allow you to work less, or work the same hours and increase your superannuation, without reducing your take-home pay. Even if you’re nearing retirement age you mightn’t be looking to leave the workforce just yet. Maybe you want to save more money or perhaps you enjoy the interaction and mental stimulation. Whatever the reason, a transition to retirement (TTR) strategy could provide …

Are grandparents giving too much?

Are grandparents giving too much? For many Australian families the arrow of intergenerational help is pointing in a new direction. Not so long ago, it was the norm for adult children to lend a financial helping hand to their ageing parents. These days, the support is more likely to flow downwards, and grandparents are increasingly likely to provide financial support to their children – and even grandchildren. As school costs soar for instance, a growing …

Get ready for the first year of retirement

Get ready for the first year of retirement Will you be a honeymooner, a go-getter or a relaxer? The first year of retirement is one of transition in which you will need to adjust to major changes that can bring big rewards. Some of the changes may include; preparing mentally for the shift to not working full-time, adjusting to not getting a regular salary, ensuring your money can last for about 30 years and keeping …

Be clear on investment goals

Be clear on investment goals by Jeff Rogers Retirees concerned about cuts to the official cash rate need to clearly identify their investment goals to help clarify whether capital stability or income sustainability is of greater importance. In this article, we discuss how a well-managed portfolio of select corporate bonds, equities, property and infrastructure can deliver attractive and predictable income streams that can be expected to rise over time. Sustainable income in a low-rate environment …

Retirement rolls around faster than you think

New research shows one in three Australians think retirement is too far away to plan for. That’s a big mistake. Retirement rolls around faster than you think. Take it from me, the day when you’re ready to hang up your work boots is likely to roll around far more quickly than you anticipate, and it pays to be prepared.  If you think time passes more quickly as you get older, you’re absolutely right. It turns out …

Jump retirement hurdles with a coach

Jump retirement hurdles with a coach Retirement is a life event that many of us long for, dreaming of the day we don’t ‘have’ to work anymore and we can finally achieve the ‘financial freedom’ we have saved for. But it can also mean a period of adjustment as we settle into a new version of our life. This can sometimes bring with it feelings of anxiety, unsure of what we will actually ‘do’ or …

Make working later in life work for you

  Make working later in life work for you Tips for taking a freestyle approach to work and retirement The relationship between work and retirement is changing. Nowadays we expect a lot more from our later years than previous generations—we’re no longer satisfied with treading water and we want to go freestyle. But with the pension qualification age increasing, people living longer and concerns about whether we have enough money in our super, we may …

New year, new start – are you ready for retirement?

New year, new start – are you ready for retirement? If 2016 is the year you were thinking about retiring, Renata Singer – a writer, community activist and educator who recently released a book called Older and Bolder, Life after 60, actively encourages women in particular, to not give up work too soon. “If you’re feeling the pressure to retire, stay doing what you love and are good at for another ten years,” she insists. …