8 steps to super success
Merely thinking about your super means you’re straddling the first major hurdle that most Australians face when planning (or not) for their retirement and looking into your future. As an employee, you have your employer helping you with your retirement [...]
2012 checklist: 10 super tips for a financially healthy retirement
Use this list as a kick-start for your 2012 super resolutions. You may not keep all of your resolutions, but if you do just a handful of the tasks listed in the checklist below, you can strengthen the chances of a financially secure retirement.
Does Trish Power offer personal financial planning advice?
Q: I have met many financial planners including 3 independent ones, but they don’t seem to know much and all said different things. They don’t seem to show interest and care for my retirement.
Can I use my super for a house deposit?
I am 56 and wish to purchase a property as my residence (as opposed to investment). Is it possible for me to access a portion of my super for this purpose?
How is contributions tax deducted from salary sacrifice contributions?
Q: If I choose to salary sacrifice some of my income into my super account, is the 15% taxed separately on the salary sacrificed super, and then another 15% on amount my employer contributed, or are the two added together then the 15% tax deducted?
Upper limit on SG contributions
Q: Can you please advise the 2010/2011 cap on earnings for the maximum superannuation contributions base?
Capital gains: Reducing tax via super contributions
Q: I have a self-managed super fund (SMSF) and I also have two investment properties in my personal name. When I sell the properties, I will be required to pay capital gains tax.
Swan attack – freeze contributions caps and halve co-contributions
In an attempt to protect the 2012/2013 Federal Budget surplus which was promised after the Global Financial Crisis savaged world economies, and then re-promised in the May 2011 Budget, Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has tinkered with the super rules, yet again.
Bring forward rule: 10 facts you should know
I receive a lot of questions from readers seeking information about how the non-concessional (after-tax) super contributions rules work; in particular, how the bring-forward rule works.
Beef up your super using a bring forward
Q: Under the 2-year bring-forward of non-concessional contributions, if a person makes a contribution of $150,001 when age 64, he can continue to contribute the balance of the $450,000 anytime during the next 2 years without having to satisfying the work test, is that right?
Retirement planning in six steps
Retirement planning can be compared to planning for a dream holiday – your trip may have an exciting destination but the steps you need to take to ensure you get to your desired location safely, and within your budget, can sometimes be tricky.
