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Super pensions: What’s changing and what to look for
While the introduction of lifetime income products has been painfully slow, super funds have been working on improvements to their existing pensions and member services.
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What advice can I get from my super fund in retirement?
The need for financial advice doesn’t end when you retire, in fact, good, timely advice may be even more consequential.
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Pension fund performance: Monthly returns to August 2026
Pension funds posted a solid return in August, with the median Growth fund up 0.9%.
Upcoming webinar
Making the most of your SMSF in FY27
Thursday 16 July 2026 at 11:00 am AEST
FY 2027 is already shaping up to be a monumental year for SMSF trustees and members. With increases to contribution caps and further indexation to the pension limits, now is the time to be putting in place your contribution, pension, and investment strategies for the 2027 financial year.
You may also need to prepare your SMSF for Division 296 tax, which starts on 1 July 2026. SMSF trustees need to understand and maximise the transitional rules for FY 2027
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Watch our previous webinar, SuperGuide members Q&A: June 2026
Q&A of the month
Q: I am 71 yo and my wife too. We have super in AustralianSuper. The current balances are as follows:
Me:
super $9,550
choice $1,825,000 taxable component $1,215,000
My wife:
super $76,250
I plan to withdraw $720K from my choice acct. I intend to contribute $360k to my wife’s super account and recontribute $360k to my super account.
Is this feasible and how easy it is for me to do it myself. Are there any issues that I should consider?
A: People over 65 may withdraw a lump sum from super at any time, and any person under age 75 can make voluntary non-concessional super contributions.
An individual’s non-concessional cap and access to the bring forward rule is limited by their total superannuation balance.
Using the bring forward rule, a contribution of up to $360,000 is possible this financial year for people with a total super balance that was below $1.76 million on 30 June 2025.
A contribution of up to $390,000 is possible next financial year for individuals who have a total super balance below $1.84 million on 30 June 2026. The maximum contribution and total super balance threshold are both higher because of scheduled increases to the non-concessional contribution cap and transfer balance cap.
To be eligible to start a bring forward period, the person must not be in an active bring-forward arrangement that was triggered in an earlier year.
For example, a person who contributed $120,000 before 30 June could contribute a further $390,000 shortly after 1 July without exceeding their cap, if their total super balance permits access to the current non-concessional cap and a three-year bring forward arrangement next financial year. By contributing up to the non-concessional cap (but not above it) in the first year, the person avoided triggering the bring forward rule until the following financial year. Further non-concessional contributions would not be possible until 1 July 2029, after the bring forward period triggered in 2026–27 ends.
The process of making a withdrawal and contribution is not complicated, but you will need to make arrangements with your bank to allow large electronic transfers of funds for your planned contributions.
Implementing a re-contribution strategy effectively and without breaching the contribution cap can be more difficult, particularly if the interaction of the total super balance and contribution cap needs to be considered and when the account holders are approaching 75. You may need assistance from a qualified financial planner to determine the most suitable strategy for your situation, and to ensure you can maximise your contributions prior to turning 75.
You should also check our article and video on the recontribution strategy, case study, details on how to take advantage of the increased transfer balance cap and our content on the bring forward rule for more important points to consider.
Tip of the month
If you’re thinking about doing some paid work, but worry about the impact on your Age Pension and income tax, let our explainer and calculator take out some of the stress.
