Retirement Planning
It is never too early to put a retirement plan into place. Retirement is the time to reap the rewards of your working life, kick back and spend your days doing what you want to do. You may already have dreamed of what you want to achieve when you retire, that round the world trip, a new 4WD to go with your new caravan, to be mortgage free or even to have funds to help out the kids or grandchildren. However will your investments be enough to not only fulfil your retirement dreams but to also generate you a comfortable income for you and family in retirement?
What kind of lifestyle do you want to have in retirement?
ASFA regularly surveys retirees in different parts of Australia about the cost of living in retirement. A ‘modest’ retirement is defined as being only to afford fairly basic activities whereas a ‘comfortable’ lifestyle means being able to afford a broad range of leisure and recreational activities, private health insurance and domestic and occasionally international travel. Currently an annual net income of $42,000 for a single and $58,000 for a couple is the average retirement income to provide a comfortable retirement. Consider the type of lifestyle you are living now? Will you be able to continue this lifestyle into retirement?
Our advisers will work with you and put a plan in place to help your realise your dream and live the life you want to live in retirement.
Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF)
Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF) are increasing in popularity among Australians with the number of SMSF trustees in Australia being now over one million and when it comes to satisfaction in regards to the financial performance of their superannuation investments 77.9 per cent of SMSF trustees were satisfied.
A self managed super fund can let you take control of your retirement savings. It may offer you greater degree of control and flexibility when it comes to choosing investments, investment strategy and your investment mix. SMSF can be cost effective for investors with higher account balances and may also be a great enhancement for business owners.
However, unlike industry/retail super fund being a trustee of a SMSF comes with additional obligations and responsibilities. Being a trustee and understanding these duties can help you establish, manage, grow and protect your financial future.
Speak to our qualified adviser to see if a Self Managed Super Fund is suitable for you.
Superannuation And Retirement Planning
Did you know that after your family home, your superannuation may be your largest asset? It is also one of the most tax effective ways of investing, which means it can provide a benefit now as well as in the future.
Unfortunately most Australians will not accumulate enough superannuation during their working life to provide them with a comfortable retirement if they rely solely on the Government’s compulsory superannuation contributions, currently 9.5%.
There are a number of things to consider when it comes to your superannuation, including:
Am I in the right super fund for me?
Am I invested in the right asset mix for my risk tolerance?
Should I be making extra contributions and which is the best type of contribution for my financial situation?
How much do I need to put away to achieve my retirement objective?
When can I access my superannuation and what are my options when I get to retirement?
Superannuation can be complex but by taking the time to consider your options and working with Barwon Financial Planning, we can help you understand and take control of one of your biggest investments.
The Transition to Retirement
Hit age 55 but not yet ready to retire? Maybe you are considering semi-retirement but not sure if you can afford to do so?
Once you have reached your preservation age, using a transition to retirement strategy allows you to draw down a pension from your superannuation savings while you are still working. This may allow you to ease your way into retirement or boost your super savings in the last few years before you fully retire.
Table 1. Preservation age
Date of birth Age
Before 1 July 1960 55
1 July 1960 – 30 June 1961 56
1 July 1961 – 30 June 1962 57
1 July 1962 – 30 June 1963 58
1 July 1963 – 30 June 1964 59
From 1 July 1964 60
If you wish to ease into retirement by reducing your work hours, a transition to retirement strategy can help you maintain your current lifestyle by supplementing your employment income with your existing super savings using a super pension.
If you plan to continue working full time beyond your preservation age, a transition to retirement strategy can offer many benefits, including:
Pay less tax
Boost your superannuation balance
No change in lifestyle (net income can remain the same)
Contact Barwon Financial Planning to see if a transition to retirement strategy is right for you.
Did You Know?
The Geelong region has more than $120 million in combined lost and unclaimed super (ATO, October 2018). We can assist in ensuring that you have all of your superannuation accounted for, and working for you.