Latest Financial Planning News

Deprecated: mysql_connect(): The mysql extension is deprecated and will be removed in the future: use mysqli or PDO instead in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 530
Hot Issues
Women still outpacing men in SMSF establishments
Economic and market outlook for 2025: Global summary
Preparing to lodge quarterly January TBAR
How to overcome your investment fears
Navigating the outcome of the U.S. election
Divorce doesn’t alter contribution rules
$3m super tax officially abandoned for this year
Top 20 Most Watched Christmas Movies ever - pre covid
A Unique Advent Calendar
ATO reviewing all new SMSF registrations to stop illegal early access
Compliance documents crucial for SMSFs
Investment and economic outlook, October 2024
Leaving super to an estate makes more tax sense, says expert
Be clear on TBA pension impact
Caregiving can have a retirement sting
The biggest assets growth areas for SMSFs
20 Years of Silicon Valley Trends: 2004 - 2024 Insights
Investment and economic outlook, September 2024
Economic slowdown drives mixed reporting season
ATO stats show continued growth in SMSF sector
What are the government’s intentions with negative gearing?
A new day for Federal Reserve policy
Age pension fails to meet retirement needs
ASIC extends reportable situations relief and personal advice record-keeping requirements
The Leaders Who Refused to Step Down 1939 - 2024
ATO encourages trustees to use voluntary disclosure service
Beware of terminal illness payout time frame
Capital losses can help reduce NALI
Investment and economic outlook, August 2024
What the Reserve Bank’s rates stance means for property borrowers
How investing regularly can propel your returns
Super sector in ASIC’s sights
Most Popular Operating Systems 1999 - 2022
Treasurer unveils design details for payday super
Articles archive
Quarter 3 July - September 2024
Quarter 2 April - June 2024
Quarter 1 January - March 2024
Quarter 4 October - December 2023
Quarter 3 July - September 2023
Quarter 2 April - June 2023
Quarter 1 January - March 2023
Quarter 4 October - December 2022
Quarter 3 July - September 2022
Quarter 2 April - June 2022
Quarter 1 January - March 2022
Quarter 4 October - December 2021
Quarter 3 July - September 2021
Quarter 2 April - June 2021
Quarter 1 January - March 2021
Quarter 4 October - December 2020
Quarter 3 July - September 2020
Quarter 2 April - June 2020
Quarter 1 January - March 2020
Quarter 4 October - December 2019
Quarter 3 July - September 2019
Quarter 2 April - June 2019
Quarter 1 January - March 2019
Quarter 4 October - December 2018
Quarter 3 July - September 2018
Quarter 2 April - June 2018
Quarter 1 January - March 2018
Quarter 4 October - December 2017
Quarter 3 July - September 2017
Quarter 2 April - June 2017
Quarter 1 January - March 2017
Quarter 4 October - December 2016
Quarter 3 July - September 2016
Quarter 2 April - June 2016
Quarter 1 January - March 2016
Quarter 4 October - December 2015
Quarter 3 July - September 2015
Quarter 2 April - June 2015
Quarter 1 January - March 2015
Quarter 4 October - December 2014
Quarter 3 July - September 2014
Quarter 2 April - June 2014
Quarter 1 January - March 2014
Quarter 4 October - December 2013
Quarter 3 July - September 2013
Quarter 2 April - June 2013
Quarter 1 January - March 2013
Quarter 4 October - December 2012
Quarter 3 July - September 2012
Quarter 2 April - June 2012
Quarter 1 January - March 2012
Quarter 4 October - December 2011
Quarter 3 July - September 2011
Quarter 2 April - June 2011
Quarter 1 January - March 2011
Quarter 4 October - December 2010
Quarter 3 July - September 2010
Quarter 2 April - June 2010
Quarter 1 January - March 2010
Quarter 4 October - December 2009
Quarter 3 July - September 2009
Quarter 2 April - June 2009
Quarter 1 January - March 2009
Quarter 4 October - December 2008
Quarter 3 July - September 2008
Quarter 2 April - June 2008
Quarter 1 January - March 2008
Quarter 4 October - December 2007
Quarter 3 July - September 2007
Quarter 2 April - June 2007
Quarter 1 January - March 2007
Quarter 4 October - December 2006
Quarter 3 July - September 2006
Quarter 2 April - June 2006
Quarter 1 January - March 2006
Quarter 4 October - December 2005
Quarter 1 of 2017
Articles
Calls for calm over pending CGT amendments
Almost the world's best for retirees
ATO reports on top contravention areas for SMSFs
What recent retirees can teach pre-retirees
Deloitte points to ‘red flag’ SMSF patterns
Save early, save often
Government pushes forward with multinational tax measures
Jump-start your retirement savings
Government urged to rectify ‘legislative shortcoming’ with CGT relief
Some financial terms explained
Areas of key focus for SMSFs in 2017.
Powerful Superannuation modelling tools available on our site.
Your New Year reading: beyond John Grisham
What a long-term view of the market can teach investors
CGT confusion seeing unnecessary sell-offs
‘Devastating’ property investments hitting SMSFs
Asset valuation crackdown imminent for SMSFs
New Year (investment) resolutions
Trump stimulus to boost global markets
Female advice customers on the rise
Retirement costs outpace rise in CPI
ATO set to scrutinise CGT relief claims

Deprecated: Function split() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 268

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 276

Deprecated: Function ereg_replace() is deprecated in /home/sowacctw/public_html/articles/sow_server_v3.php on line 277
Jump-start your retirement savings

 

Unfortunately, many people would reach their mid-fifties and conclude that their savings are not on track to finance a satisfactory lifestyle in retirement. 



           


 


Fortunately, worthwhile steps can often be taken to boost their nest-eggs in the countdown to retiring.


Perhaps family obligations and/or work circumstances made it difficult to put aside enough money towards retirement. Perhaps, inertia or procrastination played a part.


Ideally, you should begin to save for retirement as early as possible in your working life. (See the recent Smart Investing blog 'Save early, save often'.)


Early savers have the formidable advantage of compounding over the long haul as investment returns are earned on past returns as well as the original capital (including super contributions). And saving early may ease the pressure of a late dash to save as much as possible in the final years before retiring.


Ways to potentially boost lagging retirement savings for those aged 50-plus include:


  • Consider delaying retirement if possible given your circumstances. From a financial aspect, a longer working life provides an opportunity to save more for what will be a shorter retirement. And a shorter retirement is obviously less costly. (Perhaps think about working part-time if possible as an alternative to outright retirement.)
     
  • Re-evaluate your ability to save after your children leave home. Parents aged in their fifties or so often have the ability to save more once their adult children are finally independent – and once their mortgages are finally paid off.
     
  • Remind yourself how much you can save each year without overshooting the concessional (pre-tax) and non-concessional (after-tax) contribution caps. Although, for instance, the annual concessional cap – compulsory, salary-sacrificed and personally-deductible contributions – is reduced to an indexed $25,000 from 2017-18, numerous fund members may be able to afford to contribute more than at present and remain with the cap.
     
  • Look at ways to reduce your investment management costs. High annual fees keep compounding over time to markedly erode the benefits of compounding returns. In other words, compounding costs and compounding returns work in opposite directions.

Maybe the bottom-line is to face reality. Preferably, you should have started to save seriously much earlier. Now It is a matter of saving as much as possible while still in the workforce.
 


Robin Bowerman
​Head of Market Strategy and Communications at Vanguard.
05 February 2017
www.vanguardinvestments.com.au




4th-March-2017