Home /
Super for Beginners Super for Beginners
Super for Beginners articles are a great starting point for anyone beginning their superannuation journey, or beginning their super education. You can find the answers to questions that you may have been afraid to ask, or not known to ask. You can also ask your own questions, which helps us build the Beginners section of SuperGuide, and helps our many thousands of readers.
The following articles refer to Super for Beginners and superannuation.

By Trish Power on February 27, 2010
Q: I have a rental property unit I owe approximately $190,000 to the bank and I would like to know if I can invest my $60,000 super into the unit to reduce my payments to the bank?
Superannuation is subject to special access rules called preservation. What this means is that you [...]
Categories: Accessing super, Super basics | Related superannuation topics: Accessing super early, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), Compassionate grounds, Mortgage assistance, Permanent disability, Preservation, Q&A, Severe financial hardship, Super for Beginners

By Trish Power on February 26, 2010
Q: Hi I am 58 years old. Apparently you can get a lump sum of super before 60 if you have permanently retired. Can you still later look for work again? How do you prove you have permanently retired?
The question that you ask is in the top 10 questions that [...]
Categories: Accessing super, Retirement planning, Super basics | Related superannuation topics: Accessing super early, Age 65, Part-time basis, Preservation age, Preserved benefits, Q&A, Retirement, Retirement declaration, Super for Beginners

By Trish Power on February 23, 2010
Q: I am an Australian citizen living in the UK and I have an Australian super fund accumulated from 1986-1992 and now growing with investment earnings over time. Additionally, I continue to hold bank accounts in Australia. I am 52 and I intend retiring at age 60. When I [...]
Categories: Retirement planning, Super & tax | Related superannuation topics: Income stream, Lump sums, Pensions, Preserved benefits, Public sector funds, Q&A, Retirement, Super for Beginners, Tax-free super, Taxable component, Turning 60, Untaxed benefits

By Trish Power on February 23, 2010
Q: I am 41 years old and my partner is 56 years old. We have a very big mortgage as we are both the casualties of wealth destroying divorces and single parenthood! Thus we intend to pay off our mortgage before putting more into our superannuation which will therefore be after [...]
Categories: Boost your super, Retirement planning, Super basics | Related superannuation topics: Concessional contributions, Contributions caps, Non-concessional contributions, Q&A, Spouse contributions, Super contributions, Super for Beginners, Super splitting, Tax offset

By Trish Power on December 18, 2009
Q: I have been made redundant and would like to know if any contribution in super is tax deductible while I’m unemployed even if I would find work in the next couple of weeks?
Categories: Boost your super, Super basics | Related superannuation topics: Concessional contributions, Contributions tax, Q&A, Super for Beginners, ‘Maximum earnings as an employee’

By Trish Power on December 18, 2009
Q: I never understood the term ‘superannuation’. Is that our money or government money? If it is our money why can’t we do whatever we want with it. Isn’t it illegal to cut our rights when it comes to this matter?
Trish’s response: I agree with you that the term ’superannuation’ is [...]
Categories: Super basics | Related superannuation topics: Condition of release, Q&A, Super contributions, Super for Beginners, Superannuation guarantee (SG), Tax concessions

By Trish Power on November 27, 2009
Q: Hi, I am inquiring on behalf of my son who is unable to work at this stage of his life. It has been three years since he worked. He doesn’t have much in the fund and it is going down every year. Is there any way to stop the bleeding of his funds? [...]
Categories: Comparing funds, Super basics | Related superannuation topics: Fees, Insurance, Member protection rules, Q&A, Super for Beginners, Superannuation guarantee (SG)

By Trish Power on October 29, 2009
Q: I checked my statement and I put an extra $10 per week into my super and each time an amount is put in, it has been taxed. Is this right? I thought that my contributions were tax-free?
Categories: Super basics | Related superannuation topics: After-tax contributions, Before-tax contributions, Concessional contributions, Non-concessional contributions, PAYG, Q&A, Salary sacrifice, Super for Beginners, Superannuation guarantee (SG)

By Trish Power on September 11, 2009
Q: I am 16 years of age. I still go to school but I have just started my first part-time job. Do I get any superannuation? And if I do, where does it go?
Trish’s response: Congratulations on your first job. You ask two questions about your super entitlements.
Am I eligible for [...]
Categories: Boost your super, Super basics | Related superannuation topics: APRA, Choosing a fund, Complying super funds, Q&A, Super contributions, Super for Beginners, Super Fund Lookup, Superannuation guarantee (SG), Under 18

By Trish Power on July 30, 2009
Q: I’m new to Australia and I have absolutely no idea where to start with my super in order to have the best outcome 40 years from now. So far, I have had my super spread through about 3 different industry super funds, as organised by temp agencies. I know this is not the way [...]
Categories: Super basics | Related superannuation topics: ASIC, ATO, FIDO, Fund choice, Investment performance, Lost super, NICRI, Q&A, Rating companies, Super for Beginners, Super funds, Superannuation For Dummies