Pre-retirement Planning.

The years leading up to your retirement are important ones.  They are a great time to channel any excess income into your debts, like your credit cards or mortgage so that you are prepared for retirement. 

There are tax effective ways to save more into your super, like salary sacrifice, or personal deductible contributions.  If you can afford to top up your super, you might consider after tax contributions.

If you are a member if a defined benefits scheme, we can help you make the most of your retirement benefits formula.  We can also show you how you can ease into retirement with a ‘transition to retirement’ strategy, by reducing your working hours and supplementing your income with your retirement savings.  This may save you tax and make your retirement more sustainable.

Retirement Planning.

As we approach retirement, most of us worry that our nest egg won’t last the distance.  Our biggest fear when it comes to our retirement is running out of money.

We can help keep your retirement on track by staying in control of the things you can control.  Like your expenditure.  When markets are weak, or if something unexpected throws you off track, we can tell you when it is time to cut back on your discretionary expenditure.

We can also help you manage your investments in retirement.  We are not tied to any particular institutions or super funds.  This means we can service your retirement planning needs regardless of where your money is currently invested.

You don’t need to change your investments just to deal with us.  We can advise on your existing investments and we are free to recommend you switch super funds if there is a better alternative.

Defined Benefits Super.

We have extensive experience in providing specialist financial advice on defined benefits super schemes.

We understand the complexities of defined benefits super, especially NSW and Commonwealth public sector schemes. We are experts in SSS, SASS, CSS, PSS, Local Government Super and StatePlus super.

We will make sure you understand your choices under the scheme, and help you maximise your benefits so that you receive your full entitlements.  This will include expert advice on the best time to retire under the rules of the scheme and how to make the most of your retirement benefits formula.

Unexpected Life Events.

We understand that life happens.  Every now and then we all suffer from unexpected life shocks that throw us off track financially.

We can help you make the most of your financial circumstances, no matter what challenges you are facing. You always have options.

Most of us don’t retire at the time we choose.  We retire earlier than we expect because we get sick, someone we love gets sick and we need to care for them, or we are made redundant.

It’s okay.  Even if you can’t choose when you retire or you find yourself with a lower super balance than you expected at retirement, you can still control the important things.  You can still control how much you spend and when you spend.  And you can still control how you invest and when you sell down your investments.

Investment Planning.

We can help you build a retirement portfolio that underpins a sustainable and comfortable lifestyle for your retirement.

Investing for retirement is different and requires a different approach to how your super was invested when you were younger.  You are more conservative than you used to be, and you need more protection from market falls.

And investing is more complex in retirement because we also need to provide you with money to live on.

We will ensure you have the money you need to live on and balance your short and long-term risks so that you have peace of mind and security.

Age Pension Planning.

For most older Australians, the age pension forms an important part of their retirement income. 

We are experts at the Centrelink means tests so we can help you make better decisions to maximise your entitlements.  And we can help you make sense of how your defined benefits scheme interacts with the age pension system.

It can feel daunting when you start dealing with Services Australia.  We can help you with the forms and tell you what questions to ask, so that dealing with them is easier and more productive.

Estate Planning.

Most of our financial decisions in retirement have an impact on our estate and how our financial assets are treated when we die.

For many of us, our assets can be passed on to our family more tax effectively when we are alive than when we are dead.

With proper planning, we can ensure dignity in your very old age, and may even save your loved ones tens of thousands of dollars or more in tax.

Redundancy Planning.

Whether voluntary or involuntary, this is a major life change and can be highly stressful.  When it comes unexpectedly it can feel like the ultimate rejection.

We can help you take steps to feel more in control during this time of instability.  The first step is to set up a monthly income stream to replace your lost salary and meet your short-term financial obligations.

We will make sure you are managing your tax on your redundancy payment, and help you make the right choices with your super.

Tax Planning.

Australia’s taxation system is highly complex and there are lots of opportunities to responsibly manage your tax outcomes.

Whenever you make a major life decision, like retire from full-time work or sell your business or an investment property, there can be major tax implications.

We will manage your taxation prudently.  We will build a robust retirement plan, anchored in risk management and investment fundamentals.

We will help you understand the tax consequences of your plan so that you can legally and logically manage your tax and improve your financial outcomes.