To retire isn’t a simple case of working one day and not working the next. Retirement significantly impacts every aspect of your life, especially how it affects your standard of living.

Ultimately, it’s our own responsibility to get organised, but too many workers are disengaged from retirement planning, especially during the early parts of their work life. They know they should be saving for retirement, but they don’t really understand what a comfortable retirement might look like. Often, they don’t know how to set a realistic goal or how to get there. 

So, what represents a good retirement income? 

Many people avoid going to the dentist, because they expect it to be painful.  You might know what I mean. That cracked filling - we never get around to doing anything about it until the darn thing falls out.  Or even when faced with the choice of enduring a ‘sometimes’ sore tooth for several months versus going to the dentist, we generally try to ride out the bad tooth in the hope it will get better! And how does that work out for you? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

With interest rates virtually nothing, reverse mortgages may be the lifeline that cash-strapped retirees need right now.  But, proceed with caution.

We’ve recently discussed perhaps the most powerful retirement strategy of them all - work a bit longer.  

Well, now it seems that leaving retirement behind to return to the workforce is increasingly popular among older Australians. I came across this article originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald which shares the experience of 2 such people, and highlights the challenge of getting your retirement decision right. 

Saving and investing for retirement are important. But for most people, another strategy is far more powerful - working a bit longer.
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Keep reading. There are some provocative nuggets here.

Political debate regarding the refunding of franking credits for those that don’t pay tax is starting to heat up.  I must have been asked by a dozen people what the hubbub is all about. 
 
“Can you explain simply dividend imputation, franking credits and double taxation”
 
It is a little complicated and I reckon the best way to explain is by example.  Let me know if this makes sense.

Once a decision has been made to buy an investment, it is important to consider the best investment structure to use.   An investment structure refers to the way investments are legally owned.  Many people simply purchase assets in their own name or joint names, when other ownership structures may be more suitable.

There used to be a ‘traditional’ approach to retirement. It went like this.  

On 7 August 2018 the Australian population has edged past the 25 million mark. What could this mean for the future financial wellbeing of everyday Australians? Hear from Certified Financial Planner® Professional Tony Sandercock of wetalkmoney about the potential impact on finances and retirement outcomes of a bigger population. ​(This article originally appeared in Money and Life)

There’s so much today about the financial side of retirement.  Save more, invest more, have more, but for what? For you the answer may be financial independence, or maybe just the ability to stop working at a job you don’t like.  There are legions of experts out there to help you figure out your asset allocation, how much you need to save, how much you can safely withdraw etc etc etc.