Retiring soon? Here are 5 questions you need to answer first
There’s a lot to think about in the run-up to retirement, from where your income will come from to where you’ll live, but answering these questions should help you prepare.
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Barbara is a financial journalist and author with over 30 years’ experience in Australia and the UK. She is a contributor to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Money section, and has worked for the Australian Financial Review and The Australian.
Barbara is the author of Alan Kohler’s Eureka Report Guide to Personal Investing, Sorting Out Your Finances for Dummies and Personal Finance for Dummies and co-author of Investing for Dummies with James Kirby.
There’s a lot to think about in the run-up to retirement, from where your income will come from to where you’ll live, but answering these questions should help you prepare.
Super funds surmounted a wall of worries in 2023 to post a return of almost 10%, thanks to buoyant global share markets.
In these reckoners you can view the median super fund returns for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 years across five different investment options for the last 9 calendar years and 8 financial years.
As the debate over passive vs active investing continues, both have their place in SMSF portfolios, depending on your financial goals and risk tolerance.
Income-generating investments are always in demand, but investment selection is key in a volatile interest rate environment.
Last year investment markets surprised on the upside, with a late surge in shares and bonds and a resilient residential property market. So what’s in store for 2024?
In a world of ever-increasing prices, the ATO’s annual SMSF supervisory levy has been remarkably stable for almost a decade.
Industry consolidation is creating fewer, larger super funds as smaller or underperforming funds are urged to shape up or ship out.
If you dream of retiring to an exotic overseas location where the living is easy, be sure to look at the financial, health and other considerations before you make the leap.
Default MySuper funds have been undergoing a makeover in recent years, with performance under the microscope and fees falling.
Income protection premiums continued to increase at a significantly higher rate than death and TPD premiums in 2023, but the cost of cover varies widely.
As the cost of living rises, life and TPD insurance premiums inside super have bucked the trend with little or no movement in 2023.
Market volatility and economic uncertainty can wreak havoc with retirement plans, so it’s important to develop strategies to ensure your savings last the distance.
Property investment is popular with SMSFs, so it’s important to know what your fund can and can’t claim as investment property tax deductions if you want to stay on the right side of the ATO.
The family home is much more than a roof over your head in retirement. It’s also a potential source of income and aged care funding.
While super is synonymous with retirement, the reality is that many Australians will also draw retirement income from investments held outside super in their own name, a company or trust.
An ATO crackdown on asset valuations, and the proposed tax increase on unrealised capital gains in $3 million-plus super accounts, is putting pressure on SMSFs with collectables to take stock.
Now updated to 30 September 2023. Have you ever looked at your super fund’s investment returns and wondered how your fund compares with similar funds? Is it a consistently high performer or an inveterate underachiever?
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