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9 October 2026
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The Home Equity Access Scheme in Australia allows older homeowners to tap into their home equity for retirement income, yet remains underused due to lack of awareness and its perceived complexity.
The Pension Loans Scheme has generated little interest but Budget improvements may change that, including the introduction of lump-sum payments. It is also available to non-pensioners but the rate remains too high.
The family home is the bedrock on which many retirement plans sit, with special tax and social security benefits. Many products generate an income stream from the home to make retirement more comfortable.
Antarctica is on many bucket lists, but planning for enough money in retirement should start decades earlier. Setting goals and seeking advice can elevate a comfortable retirement to a great one.
Access to regular payments from the Pension Loan Scheme is now available to any property owner of pension age irrespective of whether they qualify for the pension. It can be a valuable extra planning tool.
Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.
A high-profile dividend cut and a prominent fund manager’s apology have reignited a long-running debate. If investors can access similar exposures more cheaply and efficiently elsewhere, what exactly is keeping LICs alive?
The fight over testamentary trusts looked settled. Then the draft legislation arrived. Hidden in a technical detail is a question that could force many families to rethink wills they thought were already future-proof.
For generations, Australian investors have backed banks, miners and dividends. But has that loyalty come at a cost? A look at the numbers raises an uncomfortable question about where future returns will come from.
Investors have long accepted one portfolio rule without much question. A major tax shift could change that calculation entirely, forcing difficult trade-offs between risk, discipline and an overlooked cost lurking beneath.
The value of a testamentary trust is not determined by wealth alone. Depending on circumstances, it can reduce the tax burden on inherited income, create efficiencies and help build intergenerational wealth.