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28 December 2025
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A Grattan Institute report suggests lifetime annuities as a solution to people not spending their super balances. The issue is whether underspending is the real problem or a sign of more fundamental failings in our retirement system.
The scheme has not been updated since it was established and is no longer fit for purpose. Members now find themselves disadvantaged in several important ways versus those in other superannuation funds.
The ATO has released all the superannuation rates and thresholds that will apply from 1 July 2024. Here's what’s changing and what’s not, and some key considerations and opportunities in the lead up to 30 June and beyond.
Important changes to superannuation that affect an individual’s ability to contribute are now law with effect from 1 July 2022. Check the new rules for changes to your circumstances to boost your super.
Many retirees lack the knowledge and confidence to spend their savings, resulting in a lesser quality of retirement. There is also poor understanding about access to health, aged care, tax benefits and concessions.
Two sides of the super debate - 9.5% is enough with better use in retirement versus 12% is the minimum for a decent income - are deeply divided, but what if a radical solution could bridge the gap.
The Government should fix the problems in the pension phase that are leaving gaps for vulnerable groups. Unless these problems are resolved, 9.5% will not deliver adequate retirement incomes.
No doubt, any reduction or deferral in the SG increase would be received favourably by many. However, early access and lower contributions undermine the foundation of our super system.
Paul Keating is the champion of compulsory superannuation as the central means of funding retirement. In the wake of the Retirement Income Review, he is at his passionate best defending the system, with Leigh Sales.
Such is the concern among unions and Labor about Government plans to undermine superannuation that an 'Emergency Summit' was called this week, and pioneer Bill Kelty evoked a social commitment.
We asked our readers whether the government should proceed with the legislated increase in the superannuation guarantee and the wind-back of JobKeeper. One issue was clear-cut, the other more divided.
A reader asks about the inequitable distribution of the tax advantages of super, with most taxation benefits going to those with the highest incomes. We asked David Knox of Mercer to respond.
Retirement isn’t a clean financial arc. Income shocks, health costs and family pressures hit at random, exposing the limits of age-based planning and the myth of a predictable “retirement journey".
The superannuation system has succeeded brilliantly at what it was designed to do: accumulate wealth during working lives. The next challenge is meeting members’ diverse needs in retirement.
Two years ago, I wrote an article suggesting that the odds favoured ASX shares easily outperforming residential property over the next decade. Here’s an update on where things stand today.
I am a professional real estate investor who hears a lot of opinions rather than facts from so-called experts on the topic of property. Here are the largest myths when it comes to Australia’s biggest asset class.
In an interview with Firstlinks, CEO Mark Freeman discusses how speculative ASX stocks have crushed blue chips this year, companies he likes now, and why he’s confident AFIC’s NTA discount will close.
It might not be quite an ‘everything bubble’ but there’s froth in many assets, not just US stocks, right now. It might be time to stress test your portfolio and consider assets that could offer you shelter if trouble is coming.