Do I have Enough Super to Retire: Considerations Before Leaving Your Job

06 December 2018

As you get older, you start thinking about retirement and if you have enough money to live comfortably afterward. In some cases, people don’t even usually get to decide their retirement age due to health reasons.

Retirement planning is an important process, and part of it is asking questions like “How much super do I need to retire?” or “Is my current lifestyle something I can afford?”. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics or ABS, the average retirement age is at 65.5 years for men and 65.4 for women.

If you’re someone who’s nearing this age, then you should think about these considerations before you retire or leave your job.

Contents

1 How is your account doing?
2 How much money do you need?
3 Where do you wish to live during retirement?
4 Are you debt free?
- 4.1 Conclusion:

How is your account doing?

account

Some of the biggest mistakes that people make is not knowing what their superannuation account is worth or where they’re money is invested. This reason is that a lot of people don’t really understand what it is and the advantages of having one.

At the end of the day, it’s money that you’ve earned, and you’ve set aside for retirement. Make sure to check how much you already have in your account so you can plan your retirement correctly. According to experts, you need to have at least $545,000 in your account if you’re single and $640,000 if you’re married to be able to have a comfortable retirement. This amount already covers health insurance coverage, home renovations, activities, and food.

How much money do you need?

You also have to take note that the amount you need will still depend mainly on how your lifestyle will be. Take this example below to find out how much you need to earn to have a modest or comfortable retirement:

Modest lifestyle
$27,430 for a single person
$39,445 for couples
Comfortable lifestyle
$42,955 for a single person
$60,604 for couples

A modest retirement would mean that you still get to enjoy activities like eating out once in a while and go on short trips within the country.

A comfortable lifestyle, on the other hand, will mean that you can go to a lot of recreational activities, get good private health insurance, buy a reasonable car and travel. Taking into account what your lifestyle is will have a great impact on how much money you need to be pouring into your super account.

Where do you wish to live during retirement?

After retiring, the house you’ve lived in for many years may seem dull and boring. Consider where you want to live as this will have an impact on your overall life satisfaction.

An option that’s popular for retirees is downsizing and selling off some of their assets. The reason behind this is because they want simpler things in life. They don’t have kids living with them anymore, and house maintenance cost can be expensive and impossible to do down the line. Additionally, downsizing can actually help you increase your superannuation account.

For example, Australians age 65 and over can make a non-concessional contribution to their superfund account for up to $300,000 from the sale of their primary home. This does not take into consideration of your work status, account balance, and history of contribution. Moreover, for couples, this amount can double up to $600,000.

Downsizing has some significant advantages such as:

Ability to stay closer to family and friends
Ability to purchase better health insurance coverage
Tax benefits
Affordable cost of living depending on your location
Ability to put money in other investment opportunities

Are you debt free?

Debt is something that can eat up a lot of your retirement income when not handled properly. Most experts advise that you carry no obligation when you retire or at least 90% as close to debt-free.

Ensure that you’ve already paid off your mortgage, credit cards, and other types of loans that you may have. If you’re planning to retire but still have a lot of payments needed for your mortgage, you may want to reconsider it or making additional payments into it. A debt after your retire can derail your plans of having a comfortable retirement.

Conclusion:

Taking time to ask yourself these considerations will help you get the life you want after retiring. Additionally, it helps to paint a bigger picture of how your life will be moving forward. Being mentally and financially prepared is what is going to help you achieve the life you have always dreamed of.

Read Also:

Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

View all posts

There is A Way To Save Yourself From Student Loans in 2021

Student loans can be helpful. You take out a loan to enroll in higher education, which can land you in better job opportunities, increasing your income. But of course, it can be a bit tough to save while you repay your student loans.Regardless, there are ways to save yourself from student loans, especially if you can manage the interest loans and pay more than the minimum. Here are effective ways to save yourself from student loans and pursue your dream job. 1. Pay Off Your Student Debt FasterThe easiest way to get rid of your student loans is to pay faster. If you can, send massive payments to your loan servicer every month and do so ahead of schedule.Another method is to make half payments every two weeks instead of the full monthly payment. When that happens, you send the equivalent of an additional payment every year.Of course, you may not have the discretionary income to make the extra payments. However, you can get a side job and earn extra income on the side to increase your income. You have the power to do so.Here’s a little bit of motivation: consider how increasing your monthly or weekly payments can help you become debt-free faster. You can even save interest costs on top of that. You can use a student loan repayment calculator to show you how the smallest payments affect your student loans. 2. Find Out The Type Of Student Loans You HaveIt's essential to know the type of student loans you have and develop a repayment plan that helps you. If you have federal student loans, visit the National Student Loan Data System. You can check your student loans there.There are four broad categories of student loans: graduated, standard, extended, or income-driven repayment. Let’s go through them. Standard plan: Your loan servicer will divide the total amount of money you owe with the standard plan and spread it over ten years. If you pay the same amount for the next ten years, you'll finish paying your student loans. Graduated plan: Just like the standard plan, this plan lasts for ten years. However, you start your monthly payments by paying less. Your payment for each month increases every two years. This option is ideal for borrowers who are sure that their income will increase in the future. Extended plan: With this plan, you pay a lower amount over a long period. Income-driven repayment (IDR) plan: The IDR plan lets you pay off your student loans for the next 20 or 25 years, depending on your chosen plan. But the payments will always be what you can manage every month. After 20 or 25 years, any amount you haven't paid yet will be forgiven. If you choose this plan, you'll have to certify your income annually.There are limited private student loan forgiveness options available for student loans. You’ll have to call your loan servicer to find out any available options for you. 3. Make Extra Payments, But Do It The Right WayThere's no penalty whatsoever when you pay more than the minimum or pay your student loans early. However, the prepayment comes with a caveat: loan lenders may apply the additional amount to the next month's payment.When the student loan servicers do that, it pushes your due date forward, but it won't help pay off your student loans faster. What you need to do is to instruct your lender, either through the mail, phone, or online, to apply any extra payments to your current balance. In addition, remind them to keep next month's due date the same.You can make additional payments any time in the month. Another way is to make a lump-sum loan payment on the due date. Whichever you choose, you can save lots of money. 4. Refinance If You Have Good Credit And A Good Job Refinancing your student loans can help you get rid of your loan debts faster, and you don’t have to make additional payments. When you refinance, it replaces several student loans with one private loan, usually at a lower interest rate.If you want to make faster repayments, choose a new loan term that’s less compared to what you have left in your current student loans. Going in for a shorter loan term may increase your payments each month.However, it’ll help you clear off your student loans faster and save money on interest. Final Thoughts The strategies explained above can help you pay back your student loans and save money. But not all the repayment methods can help you do that.Some repayments are designed to help you manage your debts, such as income-based repayment plans. These plans can help you clear off your debt on time and in full. Now, even though it can help you today, you'll end up paying more money in interest charges over your loan life.It is worth mentioning, some educational institutes like Navient were forced to close due to fraudulent activities. These institutions are to compensate students who are affected. Check to see if you apply to these compensationsIf you don’t have a clear solution, you may need to talk to a student loan expert.Read Also:Understanding the Steps in Debt Collection How to Reduce the Cost of College Textbooks How To Impress A Recruiter If You Are Still A Student

7 TIPS TO REDUCE CREDIT CARD BILLS

If you have a large amount of credit card debt and you are only making minimum payments every month, you are not going to pay it off any time soon. In fact, if you only make minimum payments, it could be decades before you find yourself debt-free again. It is extremely important to put yourself in a proper financial position, and a good way of doing that is by reducing your credit card bills. Tips to reduce Credit Card Bills: Here are a few tips on how to reduce your credit card bills that will help you pay off your debt: 1. Take Stock: Before you start to reduce your credit card bills make sure you know where you stand. By this, we mean know your target. You will never hit the target if you don’t know where it is, so be honest with yourself. 2. Pay more than the minimum: As discussed before, if you only make minimum payments each month, then it will take ages before you find yourself debt-free again. Thus, it is clear that paying more than the minimum due you can lower your monthly credit card bills, but still, so many customers struggle in making that the priority. Making a little more than the minimum payment every month will eventually help you in the long run. 3. Ask your credit card company for lower rates: A simple and quick way to lower your credit card bill is by negotiating a lower interest rate. Just by reducing the rate of interest by one or two percent, you can save hundreds of bucks. Try calling your creditors and ask them politely to lower your rates. If you have a good credit score and have been a loyal customer to them, then you can easily negotiate and get yourself a lower interest rate. 4. Target one card at a time: People often use multiple credit cards to buy stuff. More cards mean more accounts which eventually leads to more debts. If you are using multiple credit cards, then a good way to lower the bill is by targeting one card at a time. Focus on one account and try to clear that first. Get the minimum for each card, but pay as much as you can on the card you are targeting first. Usually, paying the card with the highest interest rate works. 5. Make a budget: Make yourself a budget every month and stick to it. It can be difficult to adjust your lifestyle too quick, so instead, try going for small adjustments. It can be as simple as cutting out one or two pizzas each week or by changing your thermostat by few degrees. Reducing your costs a little bit can help you out in the long run. Remember to save yourself a few extra bucks every month in case an unexpected bill pops up. 6. Make two minimum payments every month: A good way to lower your bill is by making two minimum payments. Since credit cards apply interest daily, cutting your balance during the month will reduce the minimum payment for the next month. 7. Transfer your balance: Another good way to reduce your monthly payments is by transferring the balance from a card with a high-interest rate to a card with a low-interest rate. If done properly, this can save you hundreds of bucks every year. Remember that credit cards with a low rate of interest are mostly introductory offers which last about a year and a half, so make sure pay off the debt before the rate of interest increases. Conclusion: We hope these tips can help you to reduce your credit card bills. If you know more tips on lowering the bill, post them in the comment sections below! hence if you want to make your choices in the right direction then the use if the credit card bills can make things work for you in all possible manners. Work out the best strategy that can help you to achieve your objectives in the best possible ways.Read Also :Are Debt Consolidation Loans Recommended For Credit Card Consolidation Credit Card Fraud The Holiday Season: Things To Consider For Next Year What Are The Important Parts Of A Free Business Credit Report?

7 Foolproof Ways to Increase Your Chances of Finding Startup Funding

Are you an entrepreneur hoping to build a thriving business backed by investor funding? Do you have an awesome business idea with product/market fit, but need angel investor funding to help your business scale? If so, you've come to the right place. There are a number of ways you can increase your chances of finding startup funding if you are strategic in your approach to making valuable connections.Gabriel Patterson, a Toronto based chairman at Bethmann Lombard Bancorp, is a dynamic businessman and certified Islamic finance specialist who has over 26 years of investment banking experience. 7 Foolproof Ways to Increase Your Chances of Finding Startup Funding Below, he shares and encourages you to incorporate the following seven tips into your fundraising efforts to improve your chances of scaling your company. Confidence is Essential: Be confident when attempting to raise funds for your startup. Investors will often back an entrepreneur they believe in even if the entrepreneur's startup idea isn't strong. Investors know the entrepreneur can always pivot their startup to a more profitable business idea, but they want to be among the first investors to bet on an entrepreneur who exudes confidence and drive. Always be Networking: Make time for networking with potential investors regardless of how busy you are building your startup. Something as simple as schmoozing with angel investors and VCs (venture capitalists) on Twitter can help get your startup on their radar. Add valuable insights on Twitter conversations, don't overtly promote your startup, and continually tweet helpful content to build the startup ecosystem. Your efforts won't go unnoticed, especially if your business idea is appealing. Know Your Ask: Know what you want when pitching potential angel investors and VCs. An entrepreneur with a lukewarm pitch with no firm ask isn't going to survive long with seasoned investors. Know what you're asking for, be firm in your presentation, and be prepared to negotiate to keep the entrepreneur/investor relationship moving forward. Consider Smaller Rounds: Be prepared to accept a smaller round of funding than what you initially ask for from investors. You may have grandiose plans and think you need a major round of seed funding or Series A funding. This is a common trap many entrepreneurs fall prey to when raising funds for their startup. Even smaller amounts of funding can be quite helpful in moving your company ahead. If you learn to reduce your burn rate and spend your funding wisely, you'll be amazed at how far a smaller amount of funding can take you and your startup. Investigate Investors: Don't assume it's only big-name investors who can help grow your startup. Too many entrepreneurs think they're only successful if they raise funding from famous VCs and investors in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, or New York City. Nothing could be further from the truth. You can raise funds for your startup from investors anywhere, but you need to approach them with respect and understand their investment thesis. The more you investigate potential investors for your startup, the more likely it is you will find reputable financial backers for your business. Ethical Behavior Matters: Be careful how you portray yourself when in public. You never know who you might be chatting with at a networking event or who they might know. One slip-up in behavior or egotistical boasting could potentially cost you the financial funding you so desperately long for. Be an entrepreneur with ethics and a strong moral code and you'll increase your long-term odds of startup success. Appeal to Investor Emotions: Don't forget to appeal to investor emotions when seeking funding for your startup. You must know your numbers and offer a pitch deck that investors can believe in, but it never hurts to appeal to their emotional side too. You don't want to overplay this card, but a touch of emotion in your investor outreach efforts can go a long way.Remember these seven foolproof ways of increasing your chances of finding startup funding and you'll improve your entrepreneurial future. Raising funds for your startup is hard work, but the rewards can definitely be worth all the sacrifice and long hours.Read Also:5 Steps To Accelerate The Growth Of Your Startup How To Attract The Best Talents For Your Startup 7 Reasons To Be An Entrepreneur In The Best Area: IT