Preparing for retirement

---

Understanding the decisions ahead, before you stop working

If retirement is approaching, it’s normal to feel unsure about timing, income, and whether you’re truly ready.

Most people don’t have a clear retirement plan when they first reach out. They have questions, partial information, and a sense that they should be more prepared than they are.

Our role is to help you understand where you are now, what your options are, and what to think about next — calmly, clearly, and without pressure.

We start with where you are now

The first step is not “planning retirement” — it’s understanding your current situation.

Together, we take stock of what you already have in place, such as:

• Your current work situation and how long you think you may want to keep working
• Superannuation balances and how they’re structured
• Savings and other assets
• Any loans or ongoing commitments
• Expected changes before retirement (for example, replacing a car or taking a major holiday)
• Leave entitlements such as long service leave or accrued annual leave
• Current income sources

This is not about analysing every detail. It’s about building a clear, realistic picture of your starting point.

Once we understand what you have, we help you make sense of it.

This often includes exploring:

• How retirement income generally works
• What superannuation can (and can’t) do for you
• How tax and Centrelink may interact with retirement income
• What the Age Pension is, and when it might apply
• What level of income you may want or need in retirement

Many people don’t know what they want to live on in retirement — and that’s very common. We help you understand your spending patterns and lifestyle expectations, so those questions become clearer.

An important part of preparing for retirement is understanding the systems you’ll be dealing with.

We help you build practical knowledge of:

• The superannuation system
• The tax system (at a general, educational level)
• Centrelink and the Age Pension
• How different choices can affect outcomes over time

The goal isn’t to turn you into an expert — it’s to help you feel informed, confident, and less uncertain.

For people who want deeper insight, we can create a financial forecast.

This is an educational tool designed to help you explore possible outcomes before you make decisions.

A financial forecast can help answer questions such as:

• Do I have enough set aside to retire?
• When might I realistically be able to retire?
• How long could my money last in retirement?
• Am I likely to receive the Age Pension?
• What happens if I pay off debt or sell an asset?

The forecast shows how your cash, superannuation, property, investments, and income may change over time based on different scenarios.

For some people, the results are reassuring.
For others, they highlight areas that need attention.

Either way, it’s a chance to understand your situation now, rather than guess later.

A financial forecast is education only. It does not replace personal financial advice, but it can help you have more informed conversations with a licensed adviser — or give you confidence to manage decisions yourself.

Preparing for retirement is rarely a one‑off conversation.

Many clients choose to meet with us periodically — for example, a small number of meetings over the year — to:

• Update what they have in place
• Review how things are tracking
• Revisit assumptions as circumstances change
• Continue building confidence and understanding

Some people use these meetings alongside a financial adviser. Others use them to educate themselves so they can manage decisions 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 retirement is approaching and you’d like help understanding your options, the best place to start is a conversation.

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