Worried about your super balance at age 55? An Adelaide financial advisor explains the average Australian super balance and shares three strategies to help close the retirement savings gap.
Read MoreTurning 55? See how your superannuation balance compares to the Australian average and determine if you're on track for a comfortable retirement. Learn about the ASFA's comfortable retirement standard and steps you can take to close any gaps in your savings.
Read MoreFind out what your superannuation balance should be at various ages to be on track for a comfortable retirement, based on the ASFA's Super Detective calculator. Learn what a "comfortable retirement" truly means and how to work out your own financial freedom number
Read MoreAre you on track for a comfortable retirement? Find out the average superannuation balance for Australians aged 50 and compare it to the ASFA's comfortable retirement standard. Learn how extra contributions and reviewing your fund can help you boost your superannuation savings.
Read MoreRetirement isn't an endpoint; it's a long and rewarding voyage that deserves to be enjoyed without financial worry. But like any great expedition, it requires a reliable map and a clear plan. Let's chart a course for your long-term freedom.
Read MoreBut only if people owning a home get it right.
A reader recently wrote in about a mistake she made that lost her hundreds of thousands of dollars when she rented out her family home. However, if done correctly, she could have taken advantage of one of the most generous tax breaks available for Australian property owners.
Read MoreIf you are unhappy with your superannuation fund or want different services and features, you are free to move to a different superannuation fund.
Read More27 important issues you should address before June 30 to ensure that your SMSF or other super fund are in order, and that you are making the most of the strategies available.
Here we go again. We have only a short time left to the end of the financial year to put our SMSF or other super funds in order and ensure we are making the most of the strategies available to us. Here is a checklist of the most important issues that you should address with your advisers before the year-end.
Read More$3 million in a super is a lot – until it isn’t.
The landslide election of the Labor Government in the House of Representatives and the composition of the Senate means that there’s not much standing in the way of the implementation of the extended Division 296 Tax Liability. This includes the taxation of unrealised capital gains in superannuation. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has confirmed that the Party does intend to introduce the stalled bill again.
Read MoreRiding the Waves: Bull vs Bear Markets Explained
Every investor loves a bull market, but bear markets are an unavoidable part of the journey. According to Mercer's Bull & Bear Charts – March 2025 report, understanding how these cycles play out can help investors build resilience, stay calm during downturns, and stay focused on long-term gains.
Let’s break down what this 2025 report reveals about market behavior in Australia and the U.S., and what that means for investors today.
Read MoreInvestors continue to navigate a dynamic global financial landscape, with interest rate shifts, economic uncertainty, and historical market trends shaping portfolio decisions. The Mercer Asset Class Performance Report – February 2025 provides a deep dive into market performance over the past decade and beyond, analyzing key events that have impacted asset growth.
Read MoreThe rules to age successfully include, 'the unexamined life lasts longer', 'change no more than one-eighth of your life at a time', 'nobody is thinking about you', and 'pursue virtue but don’t sweat it'. I recently happened upon a practical and often humorous book about how to age successfully. It’s called Rules For Ageing by Roger Rosenblatt, a literary overachiever who’s had success as a Harvard lecturer, newspaper editor and columnist, and is the author of 21 books and six plays. I first came across Rosenblatt on the PBS Newshour show years ago, where he regularly presented essays on an array of topics.
Read MoreMorningstar's International Women's Day event brought together a property expert and a financial wellness expert to discuss the best ways to increase financial security. For International Women’s Day, Morningstar brought together leading experts Kitty Parker, an award-winning buyers' agent, and Betsy Westcott, a financial wellness coach. Kitty and Betsy shared their expertise on some of the main financial challenges facing Aussies. They covered homeownership, investing and financial security.
Read MoreThe proposal to add superannuation contributions to the Commonwealth-funded Paid Parental Leave Scheme (PPL Scheme) has now been enacted. Superannuation contributions (called PPL Superannuation Contributions) will be payable in respect of 2025/26 and subsequent financial years at the rate of 12% (which will be the SG rate for 2025/26 and following financial years) of the total amount of eligible Parental Leave Paid during the financial year. After the close of the financial year, the ATO will pay the PPL Superannuation Contribution to the individual’s nominated super fund.
Read MoreHow do you start accessing your super funds when you stop working, or maybe even before you stop working? This covers the basics, including how to switch your super accumulation account to an account-based pension.
Read MoreReviewing your super is a small investment of time that can result in a large return. Superannuation is one of the most effective vehicles for Australian investors saving for their retirement. It has favourable tax rates, compulsory contributions going in from employers, and difficult conditions of release meaning no temptation to access it prior to retirement. If you’ve never reviewed your super, here are a few steps to get you started. Small changes can have a meaningful impact to your retirement outcomes in the future.
Read MoreThis week's Chart of the Week comes from the State of Retirement Income Report 2024. It looks at where asset allocation and retirement withdrawal rates meet. What's a safe amount to take out of your retirement pot each year to fund your life?
Read MoreMark, Director of Personal Finance Morningstar Australia, answers a reader question about investing outside of super. Mark answers a reader question about investing outside of super.
Read MoreThe regulations implementing the Legacy Pension Reforms have now been registered and are effective on and from 7 December 2024. This means that the five year commutation window has now commenced and will cease on 6 December 2029.
Read MoreThree things to consider when planning for an early retirement. Few of us go through our entire careers without at least thinking about the prospects of retiring early. Perhaps it is after a difficult period at work. Perhaps after a special vacation.
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