For a comfortable retirement, you need good preparation and the right advice.
And the very first part of this preparation is to understand:
- what money will I live on in retirement?
- how much super do I need?
Income in retirement
Once you retire, you’ll need a regular income to live on and it is likely that this income will need to last 20 or more years.
For most people, this income comes from:
- the Government Age Pension, plus
- super savings.
Government Age Pension
Most people will rely on the Government Age Pension and supplement this income with their super savings.
The current rate for a full Age Pension is:
- single: $748.80* per fortnight
- couple: $564.50 each* per fortnight
* As at September 2011. This payment includes a pension supplement that is currently: single $59.80 couples $90.20 (combined).
But for most people, the Age Pension alone is not enough to fund their retirement goals and therefore their super is used in addition to their Age Pension income.
Super savings
When you reach preservation age, you can take your super as a:
- regular income payment over a number of years through a pension account - like AustralianSuper Pension
- one-off lump sum
- combination of the above.
When taken as regular income payments, the money in your pension account remains invested in the fund and the investment earnings are tax-free.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a lot of super.
How much do I need?
Whatever your retirement plans you’ll need money put away to meet your day-to-day expenses, as well as any extras you may want.
To give you a guide on how much money you will need when you're retired, you can:
Use the Retirement Income Calculator
View a suggested budget for a comfortable lifestyle.
Help and advice
Need help with your retirement decisions? Get answers with our:
- online tools and advice – real answers based on your circumstances
- over-the-phone-advice – you can book a call back online
- in-person financial advisers.
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