The Budget Line Nobody Wants to Think About When people picture retirement, they tend to budget for the good stuff. Travel. Grandchildren. Long lunches. The boat they’ve been promising themselves since 1998. What they consistently underbudget — or ignore entirely — is healthcare. It’s understandable. Nobody wants to sit down with a spreadsheet and calculate …
Continue reading “Healthcare Costs in Retirement: What Australians Forget to Plan For”
The Exit Question Nobody Warns You About At some point in your 50s, the question shifts from ‘how do I get ahead?’ to ‘how do I get out?’ Not out in a panicked, burnt-out way. Out deliberately. On your terms. With your finances intact and your identity in one piece. The problem is that most …
Continue reading “Career Transition Planning: Winding Down vs Going Out Strong”
The Uncomfortable Conversation Nobody Has Estate planning is the financial topic that most people know they should deal with and almost nobody actually gets around to. It’s not hard to understand why. It involves thinking about death, incapacity, and family conflict — three things most of us would rather not dwell on over a Sunday …
Continue reading “Estate Planning for Pre-Retirees: The Basics You Can’t Afford to Skip”
The Trading Trap There’s a kind of investor you see a lot in your late 50s. They’ve worked hard. They’ve saved well. And they’ve spent 20 years actively managing their investments — switching funds, following tips, moving in and out of the market, making what felt like smart, informed decisions. And then they sit down …
Continue reading “Money is Like Soap: The More You Handle It, The Less You Have”
The Decade That Decides Your 50s are the most important decade in your financial life. Not your 30s, when you were just getting started. Not your 40s, when you were probably too busy to think about it. Your 50s. Here’s why. You’re close enough to retirement that the decisions you make now will directly determine …
Continue reading “Investment Strategy in Your 50s: Playing It Smart”
Still Going In — But Not Forever At some point, usually somewhere between 55 and 65, a thought surfaces that you can’t quite ignore. You’re not ready to stop completely. But you’re not sure you want to keep going at full pace either. The commute that felt fine at 45 feels heavier at 58. The …
Continue reading “Transition to Retirement: An Inner West Guide”
The Window Is Open But Not Forever. There’s a version of this story that plays out regularly. Someone hits their mid-50s, finally starts taking retirement planning seriously, and realises their super isn’t where it needs to be. Maybe they took time out of the workforce. Maybe they were self-employed and contributions were sporadic. Maybe they …
Continue reading “Catch-Up Super Contributions: Making the Most of Your Final Years”
This question comes up constantly with clients in their 50s, and understandably so. The kids are largely through school. The income is better than it’s ever been. And for the first time in years, there’s actually surplus cash at the end of the month. The question is where to put it. The mortgage-vs-super debate gets …
Continue reading “Should You Pay Off Your Mortgage or Boost Your Super?”
The decade before retirement is the most financially consequential of your life. The decisions you make between 55 and 65 — or 50 and 60, depending on when you plan to stop working — have an outsized impact on what the next 30 years look like. Get them right and you arrive at retirement with …
Every time markets have a bad week, the emails start. ‘Should we move to cash? Should we sell? Should we be worried?’ The honest answer is: it depends entirely on how your retirement income is structured. And the uncomfortable truth is that most pre-retirees are exposed to the wrong kind of risk without realising it …
Continue reading “Market Volatility and Your Retirement: What You Actually Need to Know”
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