You can expect some difficult conversations between employers and employees in coming months as some salaried employees discover that the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) increase of 0.25% (taking the SG rate to 9.25%) will not benefit those employees on fixed remuneration packages. I have heard that … [Read more...]
Note: This article is written by Ashley Owen, Joint Chief Executive Officer of Philo Capital Advisers and a director of Third Link Investment Managers. This article first appeared on Cuffelinks.com.au, reproduced with permission. There’s a never-ending debate about income inequality and how … [Read more...]
This article is updated annually with new rates, or periodically to highlight changes (if any) to the Senior Australians & Pensioners Tax Offset (SAPTO) rules. This article includes SATO rates for the 2013/2014, 2012/2013, 2011/2012, 2010/2011, 2009/2010 and 2008/2009 years. Since 1 July 2012, … [Read more...]
Note: This article is a supporting article to the two-part series, ‘Crunching the numbers: a $1 million retirement’ and ‘Crunching the numbers: a $2 million retirement’ (links for these articles are set out at the end of the article). If you live off the earnings only from your invested … [Read more...]
Note: SuperGuide will keep you regularly updated on the superannuation policies announced by the major political parties, right up to when the federal election is held on 14 September 2013. From that date, we will then explore what the party in power has in store for us, in terms of superannuation … [Read more...]
In the May 2012 Federal Budget (rather than the 2013 Federal Budget), the Government announced that from 1 July 2012, anyone earning more than $300,000 will pay 30% tax on concessional contributions paid into a super fund, doubling the super tax bill for high-income earners. The regular … [Read more...]
In his response to the Federal Budget, Tony Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition announced that the Superannuation Guarantee increase set to take effect from 1 July 2013, will be frozen at 9.25% for 2 years, and the full increase to 12% will be delayed for 2 years. Of course, this announcement is … [Read more...]
Note: This article is regularly updated with new figures to allow readers to compare what a $2 million retirement can deliver if retirement savings are invested with returns of 7% a year, or if invested on retirement with returns of 5% each year. If you opt for a 5% investment return, rather than, … [Read more...]
Note: This article is regularly updated with new figures (in particular the effects of Age Pension changes), to allow readers to compare what a $1 million retirement can deliver if retirement savings are invested with returns of 7% each year, or if invested on retirement with returns of 5% a year. … [Read more...]
Note: This article is updated regularly with the latest lifestyle/income data, and latest Age Pension rates. The most recent data was released in May 2013 (for lifestyle costs up to March 2013) and includes March 2013 Age Pension rates (which apply until September 2013). Due to reader demand and the … [Read more...]
The federal government will be introducing a temporary concessional cap for over-60s from 1 July 2013, which will also apply to over-50s from 1 July 2014. Draft legislation has been prepared for this change. The government will be introducing an unindexed cap of $35,000 for over 60s (from 1 July … [Read more...]
Due to a budget blowout caused by “an over-hang from the global financial crisis and strong Australian dollar”, the federal government has informally announced (drip fed via a series of casual comments in various interviews) that the income tax cuts, that were to take effect from 1 July 2015, … [Read more...]
Q: Do you need to be 60 at July 1 or could you turn 60 any time in 2013/2014 to take advantage of the new $35,000 cap? A: For the benefit of other readers, I will first explain the background to the new over-60s cap. On 5 April 2013, the federal government announced that it will be introducing an … [Read more...]
Note: This article explains the Superannuation Guarantee rate. If you’re seeking information on other superannuation rates and thresholds see SuperGuide article Super rates and thresholds for the 2012/2013 year. In the 2013 Federal Budget papers, the planned increase in Superannuation … [Read more...]
For the 2012/2013 year, only one concessional (before-tax) contributions cap exists for all ages, and that cap is $25,000. Before July 2012, we had a concessional cap for under-50s and a concessional cap for those 50 years and over. From the 2013/2014 year, we will have a special concessional cap … [Read more...]
