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How expensive is retirement?

Regular readers will know that we often refer to the costs of living in retirement published by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia and known as the ASFA ...
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Is it time to review your Account Based Pension?

On the 1st of January 2015, the age pension assessment of account-based pensions changed. Assessment of account-based pensions was brought in line with other “financial ...
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Superannuation death benefits - do you know where yours will go?

Unfortunately, this blog is not a happy one. But it covers a very important subject. Over recent weeks I have had what seems an abnormal number of questions from advisers ...
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Income - not always what it appears to be

A person’s age pension entitlement is based on several factors. Their age this is the obvious factor. Are they single or a member of a couple? Do they own their home or are they ...
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Elder Abuse - hard to believe!

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was June the 15th. It has been held every year since the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse established the commemoration in ...
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An email to Henry

Last week I had a call from a colleague and friend, let’s call him Henry (not his real name). Henry is a financial planner working in suburban Sydney. For the past couple of ...
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My comfortable retirement - part. 2

You may recall I wrote a blog a number of weeks ago outlining my ambitious plans for retirement. Part of this plan was an intention to live the life of a nomad for 12 months ...
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When modest doesn't cut it

Regular readers of our blog will be familiar with the work that the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) does in producing quarterly estimates of just how much ...
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Would you borrow money from the government?

What am I talking about? Two weeks ago, the Government handed down the 2018 Budget. One of the more interesting initiatives was the expansion of the Pensions Loans Scheme (PLS) to ...
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I wish my husband never retired

This is a true story. Only the personal details have been redacted for privacy reasons. Jack and Diane have been married for forty-three years. Jack is seventy-one and Diane ...
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