Q: How do I find out where my super contributions end up? What I mean is, how do I find out the name of my super fund? A: Your question is a popular one in Australia, even though super fund members receive member statements from their super funds every year. ... Read more
Super for Beginners
The Superannuation for Beginners section is 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.
Click on the key links directly below to access the following topics designed for Super for Beginners:
- Super for beginners: A starting guide
- Top 10 must-know super facts
- Super tips for beginners
- Age-based superannuation guide
- Super guide for women
- 8 steps to super success
- SMSFs for beginners
- Finding lost super
- Super for beginners (Q&As)
Below are some of our key Super for Beginners articles:
Set out below are all SuperGuide articles referring to Super for Beginners.
Financial advice: Only 114 independent financial advisers in Australia
Note: This article is updated regularly when new financial advisers join the independence club (latest update August 2018). A financial adviser does not have to be a member of the IFAAA to join the SuperGuide list, provided they can declare that they satisfy the requirements of being an independent adviser (we now have ... Read more
Superannuation: 10 great benefits you may not know about
Besides being a great way to save for retirement, superannuation offers lots of little-known benefits for super fund members. Depending on the type of fund you belong to, and your employment status, there is a swag of benefits you may be receiving without even knowing it. SuperGuide has gathered together a list of ... Read more
10-point guide to First Home Super Saver Scheme
Saving a deposit to buy your first home is a tough task, and purchasing an affordable first home can be an even greater challenge. In response to this affordability issue, the federal government announced in the May 2017 Federal Budget, a new scheme to allow first homebuyers to use their super account to save some of ... Read more
Seeking financial advice? A 5-step guide to obtaining expert help
After the major shake-up of the super system in July 2017, Australians saving for their retirement, or now in retirement, face a revised set of rules when it comes to their super contributions and super pensions. Unfortunately, the new rules have not made things easier to understand and many of us still need financial ... Read more
Problem with your adviser or super fund? A 2-step plan to resolve it!
Knowing who to turn to when you need help resolving a problem with your super fund or financial adviser can be tricky. There are a number of organisations that can help, but they all have different areas of responsibility and can help you in different ways. To help you understand what assistance is ... Read more
New body to handle super complaints from November 2018
Disputes about your superannuation and other finances are never fun, but the complexity of the current system makes the process even tougher. Just working out which of the multiple external dispute resolution bodies is the right one to approach has long been a source of frustration for super fund members and consumers ... Read more
Spouse contributions tax offset: 10 facts you need to know
These days it’s rare for a government to be more generous about handing out benefits, but when it comes to helping boost your spouse’s super, that infrequent event is set to happen. Since 1 July 2017, the maximum income threshold for the spouse contributions tax offset jumped from the previous meagre upper limit of ... Read more
What is the retirement age in Australia?
In Australia, there is no official retirement age but there are special rules that apply, which determine the age when you can withdraw your superannuation benefits (preservation age), and the age when you can claim the Age Pension (Age Pension age). You can discover your preservation age (for accessing your super ... Read more
Accessing super early: 14 legal ways to withdraw your super benefits
Many Australians are facing hard times, especially with structural change transforming our economy. The harsh reality is that mortgage repayments and everyday living expenses continue even when you suffer redundancy, illness or other forms of misfortune. We receive hundreds of emails from our 3 million website users ... Read more
Super for beginners, part 12: I claimed my super due to hardship. Why do I have to pay tax?
Q: I’m 30 years old. Last year I claimed $5,000 of my super due to financial hardship – I suffered illness, and was not able to work. I only received $3,800. Will I get the balance back, since I haven’t worked since then? A: Unfortunately, when you access your super benefits before the age of 60, you can expect your ... Read more
Super for beginners, part 10: Can I access my super early to reduce my mortgage?
Q: I owe approximately $190,000 to the bank on my 2-bedroom unit, and I would like to know if I can invest my $60,000 of super into the unit to reduce my mortgage repayments to the bank? A: Superannuation is subject to special access rules called preservation. What this means is that you cannot access your super ... Read more
