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Saving for retirement outside super
Super is the most tax-effective way to save for retirement, but there are good reasons to hold some investments outside it too.
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Top 10 Balanced super funds ranked by risk and return
Earning a good return on your super is important, but so is avoiding wild ups and downs when markets are volatile, especially when you are nearing retirement.
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Retirement bonuses explained: Does your super fund pay one?
Some super funds pay a retirement bonus when you start a pension, adding thousands to your balance. Learn what it is, how it works and which funds offer it.
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Should I close my super account when I retire?
Closing your super account at retirement could mean giving up more than you think. Retirement is when super really comes into its own.
Upcoming webinar
SuperGuide members Q&A: September 2026
Thursday 17 September 2026 at 11:00 am AEST
In this webinar super expert Garth McNally answers recent questions from SuperGuide members.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Watch our previous webinar, Downsizer contributions.
Q&A of the month
Q: I am in a retail super fund at the moment, I have just turned 67 in May 2026, am single, and I have a TSB of $2.453M today, which is still all in the accumulation phase. I intend to convert up to $2.1M into a pension sometime after 1/7/2026 when the new TSB and TBC limits come into effect. Am I better off opening that account utilising the full $2.1M transfer balance cap that will be available to me, or would I be better off transferring a lesser amount, say $2.0M, allowing me the ability to capture any further future growth in the super limits as they are increased in the future?
A: If you use a small amount less than the total transfer balance cap to commence your first pension, your personal transfer balance cap will be increased in future when the general cap rises. However, the increase to your personal cap will reflect the proportion of the cap you have not yet used.
In your example, 95.24% of the cap would be used if your first pension commenced with a balance of $2 million when the general cap is $2.1 million (2026–27). This used cap percentage is rounded down to 95%, leaving 5% of the cap unused.
When the general cap is next increased by $100,000, your personal cap would rise by 5% of that increment ($5,000), taking your personal cap from $2.1 million to $2,105,000.
In contrast, if you used the full cap of $2.1 million to commence your first pension in 2026–27, your personal cap would never increase in future, because your unused cap percentage would be zero.
This treatment is intended to make the operation of the cap fair and equitable.
Learn more about the transfer balance cap (including indexation) and how to take advantage of the increased transfer balance cap.
Tip of the month
Did you know your family may have to pay tax on your super death benefit after you pass away? Find out how a recontribution strategy can help reduce that tax with our explainer, video and calculator.
