Age Pension increase, How to read your super statement, Risk and diversification, latest super news and performance
Highlights of the September 2019 edition of the SuperGuide Premium newsletter include:
- AGE PENSION INCREASE: The Age Pension rates increase from 20th September. We detail the new rates and thresholds and our Age Pension calculator has been updated so you can estimate how much you may now be entitled for. You can even test your Age Pension knowledge with our new quiz.
- HOW TO READ YOUR SUPER STATEMENT: Millions of Australians will soon be receiving their annual super statement. We list what you should check to make sure your super is working for you.
- 5 WAYS SEQUENCING RISK IMPACTS YOUR RETIREMENT: If you’re close to retiring, you need to understand about sequencing risk and what you can do to mitigate it. In a separate article Barbara Drury gives you some ideas on what to do if the market crashes when you are in or nearing retirement.
- INVESTMENT RISK AND DIVERSIFICATION: Risk is part of life and investing. It’s necessary but with some knowledge you can use it to your advantage. In separate articles we look at nine key investment risks and how the big super funds diversify.
- SUPER STRATEGIES AFTER LOSING YOUR SPOUSE: WHAT ARE THE RULES? Nobody wants to plan for loss but putting a strategy into place now can make a difficult time easier and more financially secure.
- LATEST SUPER NEWS AND PERFORMANCE: We provide a snapshot of the key super news for September, and the median super fund performance to the end of August.
RETIREMENT 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 more5 ways sequencing risk affects your retirement
Find out about the dangers of sequencing risk and strategies that can help defend against it.
Read moreFinancial advice: We want it, but we don’t trust it
Australians want financial advice but are suspicious of the costs and integrity of financial advisers. With numbers of financial advisors falling and the increasing cost of advice, where does that leave us?
Read more3 very different types of retirement
Increasingly, there’s no such thing as a typical retirement. We talk to three different people whose retirement turned out a lot differently than they planned for.
Read moreSuper strategies after losing your spouse: What are the rules?
Making decisions about money at an emotionally difficult time can be challenging. Putting in place strategies when you are both fit and well can help in the future. We look at three different scenarios that can help save you money and may reduce tax liability.
Read moreHave you got an exit plan? The importance of estate planning
How to make sure the people you love get the inheritance you had planned for them.
Read moreSUPERANNUATION
Can I return to work after I access my super?
We look at the rules that apply if you change your mind about heading back to employment after retiring.
Read moreIs super better or worse than ever?
Super for Aussie workers has come a long way in the last 150 years. We look at the highs and lows of super since it was first put in place to see if it still stacks up.
Read moreSuper news for September 2019
This month we look at rising mortgage stress for retirees, Fat Cat Funds results, the suburbs with the most unclaimed super and the Better Retirement Outcomes report on super balances.
Read more10 points to check on your annual super fund statement
Here’s what you must look for when you open your yearly super statement if you want to stay on track with your retirement savings.
Read moreSUPER INVESTING
9 investment risks and how they can affect your super
Knowledge, as they say, is power. Find out the ways your super can be impacted by risk so you can, where possible, reduce your exposure.
Read moreSuper fund performance: Monthly returns to June 2020
Super funds rose for the third straight month in June, making a 6.5% comeback from the COVID cliff the previous quarter. By the end of the financial year, most funds ended up near where they started with some funds managing a modest positive return. All in all, that’s a good outcome from one of the most turbulent financial years in the past century.
Read moreWhat are lifecycle super funds, and how do they perform?
Despite a partial rebound in April, all lifecycle fund age cohorts have had negative returns for the financial year to date. Younger members with higher exposure to risk assets have borne the brunt of the downturn, while older members with a more defensive asset allocation have been cushioned from the worst of the falls.
Read moreWhy big super funds diversify and what you can learn from it
Diversification can be one the biggest protections against investment risk. We look at how smaller investments can learn from what the big funds do.
Read moreSMSFs
Find out about the new contribution rules that help bump up SMSF balances and reduce tax
We look at two strategies that can help boost your SMSF and reduce your taxable income.
Read moreMulti-generational SMSFs: Benefits and pitfalls
Is it a good idea to have a family SMSF? We look at the pros and cons of being a family that saves together.
Read moreThe advantages of using MDAs in an SMSF
MDA’s are increasingly popular – we look at what they can offer and what situations they can really work in.
Read moreAGE PENSION – NEW RATES AND THRESHOLDS
Australian Age Pension rates (March 2020 to September 2020)
Age Pension rates increased on 20 March 2020. This article also explains how the Age Pension works, and includes the latest Age Pension rates for residents, non-residents, and the transitional Age Pension.
Read moreAge Pension calculator: How much could you be eligible for?
Our Age Pension calculator gives you an indication of potential Age Pension entitlements. The Age Pension rates are those that apply from 20 March 2020 to 19 September 2020.
Read moreAge Pension income test limits (July 2020 to September 2020)
A common question for those nearing or in retirement is “How much can a pensioner earn before it affects the pension?”.
Read moreAge Pension assets test limits (July 2020 to September 2020)
This article details the rules and limits of the Age Pension assets test (how much your savings and other assets are worth), which is one half of the means test (along with the income test) that determines how much Age Pension you could be eligible for.
Read moreQuiz: Age Pension rules
Take our 10 question quiz to test your knowledge on the Age Pension rules.
Read more