How superannuation works: Super for beginners guide
Super often ends up being your biggest asset outside the family home, so it pays to understand how it works and then to keep tabs on it.
Articles by Barbara Drury
How much can I afford to spend in retirement?
Retirees often live more frugally than necessary due to fears their money will run out, but this simple rule of thumb could help many retirees spend and enjoy life more.
Lifetime estimator calculator
Without knowing how long we will live, retirement income planning is difficult, to say the least. This calculator provides a personalised estimate, depending on your health and other factors.
Why it can pay to put as much as possible into super
If your super balance is underwhelming, even small personal contributions can supercharge your retirement savings once compound interest and tax do the heavy lifting.
Age Pension calculator (September 2024 update)
Our Age Pension calculator gives you an estimate of your potential Age Pension entitlements based on your situation, assets and income.
Age Pension income test rules (from September 2024)
A common question for those nearing or in retirement is “How much can a pensioner earn before it affects the pension?”.
Age Pension assets test rules (from September 2024)
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.
Age Pension rates (September 2024 to March 2025)
Age Pension rates increase on 20 September 2024. 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.
Balanced, Growth, Defensive: What’s in a name?
If you are confused about the meaning of super investment option labels like Balanced, Growth and Defensive you’re not alone. Even the funds can’t agree.
The big picture: Focus on super’s long-term returns
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so we’ve created a visual representation of super’s value in the long run.
Planning to retire this year and start a super pension? Here’s what to consider
As retirement beckons, it’s worth checking the rules around making last minute super contributions and how much you can transfer into a tax-free pension account.
What are lifecycle super funds, and how do they perform?
Lifecycle funds are designed to reduce risk as you near retirement without sacrificing returns; recent research shows many do just that but you need to know what to look for.
Pension fund performance to June 2024
Pension funds enjoyed another stellar run last financial year, with returns well ahead of inflation.
Super fund performance reckoners: Annual returns for 5 investment categories
In these reckoners you can view the median super fund returns for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 years across five different investment options for the last 9 calendar years and 8 financial years.
Super fund performance over 32 financial years (to June 2024)
Super funds surmounted a wall of worries in 2023 to post a return of almost 10%, thanks to buoyant global share markets.
Top 10 Balanced super funds ranked by risk and return
While super funds with the highest annual returns capture headlines, some funds and their members place a premium on balancing rewards with a focus on consistency.
How to invest according to your values and address climate risk in your SMSF portfolio
Climate change, sustainability, greenwashing – investing is a minefield these days but there are steps you can take to align your investments with your values.
SMSF statistics: 1.1 million members with $869 billion in super
The size of the self-managed super fund sector continues to grow in terms of members and assets, at the expense of all but industry super funds.
