Latest super fund performance, Best and worst performing funds, Super tips for every age, Latest sustainable investment score card, Accessing super, What to do when the market tanks
Highlights of the October 2020 edition of the SuperGuide Premium newsletter include:
- IS YOUR SUPER FUND FIT FOR PURPOSE? Stockspot’s annual Fat Cat Fund Report has weighed the contestants and guess what – the higher the fees the lower the returns. Check out the fit and the feeble.
- SUPER TIPS FOR THE AGES: Super is a marathon not a sprint, but like any long-distance runner, it’s important to check your vital signs at milestones along the way.
- WOMEN’S RETIREMENT SAVINGS NOT SO SUPER: The recent federal Budget was criticised for the lack of initiatives to help women close the gender work, pay and savings gap. But some super strategies can help.
- THE INEXORABLE RISE OF SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENTS: Even before Rio Tinto blew up Juukan Gorge, the writing was on the wall. Investors are voting with their feet and flocking to investments that do good, not harm.
- RETIREE SURVIVAL KIT FOR MARKET STORMS: A big market fall when you have just retired, or are close to it, can derail the best-laid plans. The best form of action is not reaction, but planning.
- THINKING OF A SEACHANGE OR TREECHANGE? Let’s face it, after the year we’ve had who isn’t. Retirement expert Jill Weeks gives some practical tips for a successful move.
SUPER NEWS
Super news for October 2020
One-off super amnesty a success, Customers remain satisfied with super funds, Latest statistics for SMSFs, ASFA supports 40:40 Vision campaign, Early Release Scheme data, Cybersecurity matters more than ever.
Read moreSuper fund performance: Monthly returns to January 2021
Super funds continued their positive run in January despite challenging conditions on global markets.
Read moreFit cats and fat cats: Which are the best and worst super funds?
Tracey Spicer talks to Chris Brycki from Stockspot about their annual Fat Cat Funds Report which assesses the best and worst performing super funds.
Read moreIN CASE YOU MISSED IT
See also our coverage of the 2020 Federal Budget.
SUPER TIPS
Super tips and strategies if you are in your 20s
When you’re in your 20s, retirement can seem a long way off, but there are some important things you can do. Here are our 10 top tips to ensure your savings stay on the right track.
Read moreSuper tips and strategies if you are in your 30s or 40s
You’ve barely reached mid-career and retirement can still seem a long way off. But there are some important things you need to check when it comes to your super, so here are 10 top tips to help ensure your retirement plans are on track.
Read moreSuper tips and strategies if you are in your 50s
In your 50s you’ve turned the corner and are heading into the final career stretch before retirement. So now’s the time to start paying closer interest to your super and ensuring you are set up to reach your retirement goals.
Read moreSuper tips and strategies if you are in your 60s or 70s
In your 60s and 70s, super is still very important. There are important decisions to make and you need to keep a close eye on how your super investments are performing. Here are some tips on what to keep an eye on.
Read moreSUPER FOR BEGINNERS
How super works: A beginner’s guide to superannuation
However well you think you understand superannuation, it always pays to refresh yourself on the basics.
Read moreThe easy way to find and consolidate your lost super
Learn how you can easily find your lost or unclaimed super and transfer it to another super account.
Read moreHow to compare super funds in 7 easy steps
Superannuation is a long-term investment but that doesn’t mean you can afford to put off thinking about it indefinitely.
Read moreSuper investing for beginners
Just because we may be compelled to have superannuation, is no reason to leave it to its fate. In fact, playing a role in how your super is invested is one of the key ways we can influence its outcome. Here we break down the key concepts to help you gain confidence with the investing side of super.
Read moreWomen and super: How to beat the odds
When it comes to super, it’s still a man’s world. That means it’s up to women to even the score. We show you how.
Read moreSMSFs
SMSFs: Sustainable investing just got personal
The year 2020 has been a turning point for sustainable investing on so many levels. COVID has brought to the forefront of investors’ minds considerations such as how companies treat their staff, as well as numerous other environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
Read moreSMSFs and cryptocurrency investments
Now that some of the initial hype has gone out of cryptocurrencies, it’s a good time to take a clear-eyed view of their investment potential.
Read moreSMSFs: Investment property tax deduction mistakes to avoid
Property investment is popular with SMSFs, so it’s important to understand what your fund can and can’t claim as investment property tax deductions.
Read moreSMSF investment rules: Collectables and personal use assets
If you are a passionate collector or connoisseur, then you may be able to use that knowledge to boost your retirement savings.
Read moreSMSFs reserves: What are the rules?
There are legitimate reasons for maintaining reserves in your SMSF, but the ATO is keen to point out that avoiding tax is not one of them.
Read moreACCESSING YOUR SUPER
What age can I access my super (Preservation Age)?
There are a series of hurdles you need to clear before you can access your super. The first is your age.
Read moreAccessing super: Reaching preservation age and retiring
You satisfy the retirement provisions of Australia’s super legislation if you have reached your preservation age, you have ceased gainful employment and you have no intention of becoming gainfully employed again in the future.
Read moreAccessing super: Ceasing employment after 60
Retire at 60, grab your tax-free super and ride off into the distance. Sounds like a plan, but as with everything to do with super, the devil is in the detail.
Read moreAccessing super: Reaching age 65
You can access your super in Australia when you turn 65. It is the most straightforward condition of release. To apply for your super benefits you should contact your super fund.
Read moreRETIREMENT PLANNING
What to do if the market tanks and you’re retired, or close to it
These are challenging times for investors, especially if you’re about to retire or already drawing on your super.
Read moreVideo: The first steps to planning your retirement
Bruce Manners from retirenotes.com talks to Tracey Spicer about some of the key factors that people need to consider when planning their retirement, the importance of passions, interests and priorities and how to test-drive your own retirement.
Read moreVideo: Where is a good place to retire?
Tracey Spicer talks to Jill Weeks, co-author of the book Where to retire in Australia about popular retirement towns across the country, and what to consider if you thinking about a seachange or treechange.
Read morePerspectives on retirement
As a retirement coach I help people with their emotional (non-financial) journey to a fulfilling retired life. The definition of a ‘fulfilling retired life’ is very personal, which means it can’t be defined by a checklist.
Read more