Retirement Planning Guides

Plain-English explanations of Australian retirement planning concepts — superannuation, Age Pension, defined benefit pensions, and more.

Age PensionConcession cardsBenefitsMay 2026

Australian Government Benefits for Retirees: What You're Entitled To

Age Pension, Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, Rent Assistance, PBS concessions, and state Seniors Cards — eligibility criteria and 2026 rates in one place.

Age PensionStrategyMeans testMay 2026

Maximising Your Age Pension: Strategies and the Sweet Spot

How the taper rate works, what the pension sweet spot is, which assets are exempt, and what planning considerations can help you understand your entitlement.

Retirement budgetingPlanningASFA standardMay 2026

How to Work Out Your Retirement Spending: A Practical Australian Guide

A practical guide to estimating your retirement spending — what changes from working life, the ASFA benchmark, a budget categories checklist, and how to test your number in the calculator.

Retirement spendingBehavioural financeDrawdown strategyMay 2026

Why Most Australian Retirees Die With Too Much Money

Fear of running out causes most retirees to systematically underspend — sacrificing quality of life for an accidental bequest. Here's why it happens and how to find the spending level that's actually right for you.

Retirement spendingPlanning assumptionsResearchMay 2026

CPI vs JP Morgan Spending Curve: Which Retirement Spending Pattern Is Right for You?

Should you model spending as flat in real terms (CPI) or declining over time (JP Morgan curve)? The research behind each, the pros and cons, and how to choose.

TTRSalary sacrificeSuper strategyMay 2026

Transition to Retirement (TTR) Strategy: Is It Right for You?

Who benefits from a TTR strategy in 2026, how the salary sacrifice + TTR income stream combination works, what changed in 2017, and how to model it with a TTR calculator.

Super drawdownRetirement planningMonte CarloAge PensionMay 2026

How Long Will My Super Last in Retirement? An Australian Guide

The five variables that determine how long your super lasts, why the 4% rule needs adjusting for Australia, how the Age Pension extends your super, and how to stress-test your plan with Monte Carlo simulation.

PSSCSSDefined BenefitMay 2026

PSS and CSS Pensions in Retirement: The Complete Guide

Everything Australian public servants need to know about PSS and CSS pensions — how your pension is calculated, CPI indexation, tax, the defined benefit income cap, and Transfer Balance Cap interactions.

MSBSMilitarySuperDefined BenefitADFMay 2026

MSBS Pension in Retirement: The Complete Guide for ADF Members

Everything ADF members need to know about the MilitarySuper (MSBS) pension — how your pension and productivity benefit are calculated, CPI indexation, tax treatment, the defined benefit income cap, and Transfer Balance Cap interactions.

PSSCSSMSBSDefined BenefitMay 2026

PSS and CSS Pension Indexation July 2026: What Your Increase Will Be

PSS, CSS and MSBS indexed pensions increase by 2.0% from July 2026. Full calculation explained, historical rates, and how to factor it into your plan.