Living in retirement

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Understanding the rules, staying informed, and feeling confident about your income

Retirement doesn’t mean the decisions stop.

Many people reach retirement and discover that the rules around income, Centrelink, superannuation, and pensions are more complex than they expected — and that small changes can affect what they receive.

Our role is to help you understand how the system works, keep things up to date, and feel confident about what you need to do — without pressure and without jargon.

Making sense of retirement income

A common concern in retirement is understanding where your income comes from and how long it needs to last.

We help you understand:

• How account‑based pensions work
• How superannuation is accessed in retirement
• How income is drawn and taxed (at a general, educational level)
• How spending choices affect how long your money may last
• Whether things like holidays, larger expenses, or lifestyle changes are affordable

Many people worry about spending “too much” or “too little”. We help you understand your income and spending so those decisions feel clearer.

Centrelink plays a major role in retirement income for many Australians — but the rules are not always easy to follow.

We help you build practical understanding of:

• When you may be eligible for the Age Pension
• How the Age Pension is assessed
• How assets and income affect pension payments
• What happens if one partner is still working and the other is retired
• How superannuation is treated before and after pension age
• The Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card and who may be eligible

The goal isn’t to memorise rules — it’s to help you understand how your situation fits within the system.

Centrelink decisions are based on the information they have about your assets and income.

If that information is out of date, payments can increase, decrease, or stop unexpectedly.

We help you understand:

• What needs to be reported to Centrelink
• When changes should be reported
• Why keeping details up to date is important
• How reviews and requests from Centrelink work

With your permission, we can assist by completing third‑party authority forms, allowing us to deal with Centrelink on your behalf.

This can save time, reduce stress, and help you feel more confident that things are being handled correctly.

We don’t charge for filling in Centrelink forms themselves. Our fee is for the education and support provided in understanding what’s required and why.

Retirement often brings changes to spending patterns — sometimes gradually, sometimes suddenly.

We help you:

• Understand what you’re spending and where
• Build or review a simple, practical budget
• Track how things change over time
• Adjust as circumstances change

Staying on top of these details helps reduce uncertainty and supports better decision‑making.

For some people, questions like “How long will my money last?” or “What happens if I spend more?” are hard to answer without seeing the bigger picture.

In those cases, a financial forecast can be a helpful educational tool.

It allows you to explore how your income, spending, superannuation, and assets may change over time based on different scenarios — before you commit to them.

A financial forecast is education only. It doesn’t replace personal financial advice, but it can help you:

• Understand possible outcomes
• Ask better questions
• Feel more confident about the decisions you’re making

Living in retirement isn’t static.

Many people choose to check in periodically — for example, a small number of meetings over the year — to:

• Review changes to income or assets
• Respond to Centrelink requests
• Update details when circumstances change
• Continue building confidence and understanding

Some people use this support alongside a financial adviser. Others use it to educate themselves so they can manage things independently.

It’s important to be clear about boundaries.

• We do not provide personal financial advice
• We do not recommend financial products
• We do not replace a licensed financial adviser

What we do provide is education, clarity, and structured conversations that help you understand your situation and prepare for the next stage of life.

If you’re retired and would like help understanding how things work — or want support dealing with Centrelink and retirement income questions — the best place to start is a conversation.

There’s no pressure, no obligation, and no expectation that you have everything worked out.