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It’s fair to assume that the average Australian might hope to live comfortably, if not lavishly, in retirement.
The widely reported ASFA Retirement standard suggests a single person can enjoy a ‘comfortable lifestyle’ on around $44,000 a year, so it stands to reason they should be able to live more than comfortably on $50,000. For couples, $50,000 a year affords a lifestyle that allows for more spending than ASFA’s ‘modest’ budget of around $40,000 a year but not quite up to the ‘comfortable’ standard of around $62,000.
If $50,000 a year sounds like your kind of retirement, the next step is to work out how much super you will need to fund it.
Crunching the numbers
The tables below show the super balance required to provide a couple or a single person with annual income of $50,000. Using MoneySmart’s Retirement Planner we’ve calculated various scenarios, depending on how long you want your money to last and the average annual return on your super investments, net of all fees.
We also look at outcomes based on whether or not you will become eligible for the Age Pension at some point as your savings are run down.
For simplicity, we have not counted savings and investments held outside super. If you have significant outside savings, you will need less super. We also assume you own your home.
The results are based on someone retiring at 67 but apply to anyone who is over Age Pension age (currently 66 years, but rising to 66 years and 6 months from 1 July 2021). All figures are in today’s dollars (adjusted for inflation), assuming an average annual 2.5% rise in the cost of living and an additional 1.5% rise in living standards per year.
Transfer balance cap
Also keep in mind that there is a $1.6 million transfer balance cap on the amount of money you can shift into a super pension account. Excess amounts will need to remain in a super accumulation account or outside super, where earnings will be taxed. The interaction of the transfer balance cap with other income and investments can be complex, so we advise you to seek professional advice.
The $1.6 million cap applies to individuals, which means a couple could have up to $3.2 million in individual accounts. However, if a couple has one account between them in a single name, the $1.6 million limit applies.
Where to go for more
We hope that the figures in the tables below will get you thinking.
Couple – Super retirement balance needed to provide annual retirement income of $50,000
| Years super lasts | Eligible for Age Pension? | 2% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 years | Yes | $444,000 | $390,000 | $350,000 | $310,000 | $280,000 | $250,000 |
| 25 years | No | $1,668,000 | $1,490,000 | $1,320,000 | $1,170,000 | $1,040,000 | $940,000 |
| 30 years | Yes | $650,000 | $500,000 | $420,000 | $360,000 | $320,000 | $280,000 |
| 30 years | No | $2,030,000 | $1,800,000 | $1,580,000 | $1,380,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,050,000 |
| 35 years | Yes | $1,070,000 | $760,000 | $520,000 | $420,000 | $360,000 | $280,000 |
| 35 years | No | $2,380,000 | $2,100,000 | $1,840,000 | $1,590,000 | $1,370,000 | $1,160,000 |
Single – Super retirement balance needed to provide annual retirement income of $50,000
| Years super lasts | Eligible for Age Pension? | 2% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 7% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 years | Yes | $1,300,000 | $1,160,000 | $1,030,000 | $910,000 | $810,000 | $710,000 |
| 25 years | No | $1,720,000 | $1,490,000 | $1,320,000 | $1,170,000 | $1,050,000 | $940,000 |
| 30 years | Yes | $1,650,000 | $1,450,000 | $1,290,000 | $1,130,000 | $990,000 | $870,000 |
| 30 years | No | $2,420,000 | $2,020,000 | $1,580,000 | $1,380,000 | $1,200,000 | $1,050,000 |
| 35 years | Yes | $2,450,000 | $1,930,000 | $1,510,000 | $1,330,000 | $1,160,000 | $1,010,000 |
| 35 years | No | $3,320,000 | $2,890,000 | $2,320,000 | $1,590,000 | $1,370,000 | $1,170,000 |
