2015 Intergenerational Report

30/4/2020

Living Longer In The Lucky Country

We Aussies are a successful bunch. Whether that be economically, on the sporting field or even how we get on with each other, we do most things really well. The Government's Intergenerational Report (IGR) spells out how successful we have been in the most important area of all – staying alive.

Thanks to skilled health care and a high standard of living, we just don’t die like we used to. In the future, we’ll be living even longer. The IGR says in 40 years’ time, life expectancy will be 95+ for men and 96+ for woman. Two million of us will be aged over 85. 40,000 of us will be over 100 - compared with 5,000 now and just 125 in 1975. Holy smoke, this really is the lucky country!!

But the IGR is not just all good news, our expected longevity comes with its problems. It shows we need to be very wary of this success causing failure in other areas.

Did you know that when the age pension was introduced in 1908, life expectancy for a man was just 63? So it wasn't a huge burden on taxpayers. Today, with the average Aussie retiring at 60 or 65, he or she will live 25 or 30 years (hopefully more) in retirement – mostly, living off those still working. Someone has to pay for it.

That someone will be our future workers. The question is, will we have enough?

40 years ago, there were 7.3 Australians of working age for every one over 65. Today, there are 4.5. In 40 years’ time, there will be 2.7.

By 2055, estimates are that the number of Australians aged over 65 will double to 9 million - a quarter of total population. There will be 2.0 million aged 85 and over, up from 500,000 now.

Older people are huge consumers of health services, residential care and pensions. The cost of health services is also increasing fast due to increasingly expensive technology and pharmaceuticals. Combine the two, and by 2055 the government will be spending seven times as much on healthcare of the over-65s as we do now.

Don’t get me wrong, older people deserve to be looked after properly. After all, they have supported previous generations through their taxes. But how will we pay for it all?

Well, we will need more people working. We will have to work longer. We will need to increase the value of our work (what the economists call "productivity"). Maybe tax increases are necessary. Or must we find savings in other areas such as education, welfare and defence? One thing is for sure and that is there will be more pressure on those things many older Australians take for granted - health care, residential aged care, pharmaceuticals, social security.

None of these changes will be popular. The challenges are immense.

So now is time for strong leadership. We need a mature, political debate. Let’s leave ideology at the door, just this once. This is after all, not actually about us and the size of our pensions. Our decisions now will directly impact the future prosperity of our kids and our grand kids.

This is a big deal. Do we leave this place better than we found it?

So maybe the starting point is actually with us - a shift in social attitudes about entitlement. What is realistic and what is not?

Whichever way you look at it, there's some work to do.

Whenever you're ready....here are three ways I can help you get on track to a stress-free retirement.

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IMPORTANT This information is of a general nature only and may not be relevant to your particular circumstances. It does not take your specific needs or circumstances into consideration, so you should look at your own financial position, objectives and requirements and seek financial advice before making any financial decisions.To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage as a result of any reliance on this information. See full Terms and Conditions here.

3 Comments

Peter R

19/3/2015 12:04:38 pm

Hey Tony, thanks for the email and update, you've got me thinking. You've been quite general about what people should do, can you be more specific? I'm in my 40's, should I panic?

Tony Sandercock

20/3/2015 01:20:22 am

Thanks for the question Peter. I can’t be more specific as everyone’s resources and expectations are different. I understand your uncertainty. To overcome this, you should work out where you are, where you want to be and then implement a plan to get there. Like many things financial, it sounds simple but can often be very difficult to implement. Seek advice if need be, follow this link for what you should expect from your advice provider (http://www.wetalkmoney.com.au/us.html).

I can say in a general sense though, for those who have had compulsory super their entire working lives (so, say up to age 40), they have time and the magic of compounding on their side. So create a plan and work it.

For those over 65, any changes will be gradual giving people the opportunity to adapt. However, this growing pressure on services we currently take for granted means good advice is still prudent in order to optimise your financial nest egg.

Those in the middle (say 40 to 65) face the greatest challenges – they’ve not had compulsory super their entire working lives, they are running out of time and could be retired a very long time. Working longer will be the only option for many.

You guessed it, my advice is to seek advice.