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24 September 2026
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Marketed as a fix for inequality and housing affordability, the latest budget instead delivers a tangle of tax changes that leave everyday Australians worse off.
It’s great to see the age pension increase recently, but there are now additional challenges and opportunities. One is a change in aged care costs, and another is what the pension rise means for your own situation.
It will surprise many that benefits worth over $8,700 could be available for a couple with a super balance over $4 million. Check if you are eligible for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
Amazingly, SMSF pensioners invested in Australian shares will be much worse off under the Labor franking policy than in the ‘bad old days’ when their pensions were taxed.
The proposal to increase eligibility for the age pension to 70 was driven by budget austerity, but it overlooked the vulnerable people who could not wait that long.
* Over 60 and worried about a new tax on super withdrawals? No need - apparently, the current policy was set in stone 2 1/2 years ago.
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.
Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.
Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.
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.
The 4% rule has long been retirement's gold standard. But after a difficult period for investors, fresh analysis suggests a more conservative approach may significantly improve the chances of making savings last.
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.