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Age pension, Aged care, Budgeting, Government benefits, Investment markets, Lifestyle, Pre-retirees, Retirees

Centrelink Concession Card eligibility

The type of concession card you may be eligible for is based on your age and circumstances. A Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) is issued to pensioners, a Low Income Health Care Card (LIHCC), is issued to someone on lower income, regardless of their age, and a Commonwealth Seniors health Card (CSHC), is available to someone who is above age pension age and doesn’t qualify for any social security payment.
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Budgeting, Lifestyle, Pre-retirees, Retirees

Challenging times..

The last 3 years in markets have been a challenging time, first came COVID and then the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Household consumption is the primary force behind economic growth and it’s been experiencing a difficult combination of soaring mortgage rates, increased living expenses and persistent inflation. Together, these things are causing a decrease in disposable income. These strains are likely to persist for a while yet and are causing the short-term fluctuations you might be seeing in your portfolios, depending on your level of share exposure.
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Budgeting, Government benefits, Investment markets, Lifestyle, Pre-retirees, Retirees

Has the Reserve Bank of Australia finished the rate increases yet?

At its October meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left the cash rate on hold for the fourth meeting in a row at 4.1%. The pause in interest rates over the last four months comes after the biggest interest rate increase cycle (400 basis points over 14 months) since the late 1980s. The rate increases since April last year mean that a variable rate borrower with a $600,000 mortgage will have seen around $1,300 a month added to their mortgage payments. That’s $15,600 a year!
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Age pension, Budgeting, Investment markets, Lifestyle, Pre-retirees, Retirees

It’s good news week

It feels like the investment world has been listening to the Hedgehoppers Anonymous 1965 song lately; where good news is bad and vice versa. One can be forgiven for having to ponder why investment markets have moved in unexpected directions this year. I’ve seen equities rise on news that we’re going into a recession and defensive investments being sold off because a recession isn’t happening quickly enough. Isn’t a recession bad? Don’t shares fall and bonds rise on bad news? Well, maybe, but it’s only part of the picture…
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Investment markets, Lifestyle, Pre-retirees

What is Division 293 tax .. and who pays it?

Division 293 tax is an additional tax on super contributions for higher-income earners. For first-time recipients of a Div. 293 notice from the ATO, it can come as a surprise. Super contributions such as employer contributions and salary sacrifice are taxed within your super fund at 15%. Introduced in July 2012, Div. 293 tax is an additional 15% tax for individuals with income greater than $250,000 a year. The tax is payable in addition to the standard 15% contributions tax and rather than being paid automatically by your super fund, most people learn of their Div 293 tax liability after receiving a bill from the ATO.
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Age pension, Government benefits, Lifestyle, Pre-retirees, Retirees

Maximising your Golden Years

During our recent radio show on 5AA (every second Thursday at 3pm), we outlined some of the implications of extending work beyond 67 on the Age Pension. The day after purchasing a coffee, I overheard a group of workers discussing the radio show. Whilst it was heartening to hear, the person leading the talk was instructing his companions on the specific course of action they should adopt. Regrettably, his recommendations were based on his own circumstances.
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Aged care

How is my deposit refunded when I leave Aged Care?

The lump sum that you pay for your room (known as the Refundable Accommodation Deposit or RAD) comes back to your estate when you pass away. If you have paid a lump sum for your room in a residential care facility, you give up access to this money whilst you are in care, but these funds remain part of your estate which can be left to your beneficiaries. The full amount is refundable (unless you have allowed any ongoing care fees to be deducted instead of paying these costs via your bank account).
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Latest insights

2 September 2025

Increase to Deeming Rates

Matthew Kelly
From 20 September this year, deeming rates will increase for the first time since the Covid-era freeze. This change may affect people whose payments and benefits are determined by the income test. The announcement confirms that rates will gradually return to ‘pre-pandemic settings’ with staged increases to take effect in the future. Increases will be realigned from 1 July to the same time that payments are indexed (expected to be 20 March and 20 September).
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