The Retirement School

Bec Sullivan
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Are you 5-10 years out from retirement in Australia or are you ready right now to take the plunge into retirement? Perhaps you have already retired but aren’t sure if you’ve optimised your finances to get the best mix of enjoying life now and longevity of your funds. The Retirement School takes you through a step by step guide of everything you need to know about money in retirement. It covers topics from superannuation through to retirement income, age pension, downsizing and making sure you estate planning is in order. This is a 12 part series which you can learn at your own pace. We include action plans for each topic and useful links and other resources to help you personalise your retirement journey from a financial perspective. 

  1. 5d ago

    Topic Eleven: Aged Care

    While it is hopefully some time before you need to make any decisions about your high care needs, we think it's worthwhile understanding the options and the financial impact of a move to aged care so you can consider this in your retirement funding calculations. In this episode we cover briefly the main type of costs associated with aged care. There is no action plan for this topic but the link below is a valuable resource for further reading: Helping you navigate aged care, every step of the way | My Aged Care

  2. 5d ago

    Topic Nine: Employment Matters

    Making the huge decision to retire and stop work immediately might be daunting for some people. Maybe you want to transition to retirement by moving to part time or casual work. Or you are finishing altogether and you want to know what steps to take before the last day arrives. In this episode I talk though employment matters including decisions you have to make before you change from your current working status. It can make a big difference in terms of your final pay, access to your super and working out the impact on your retirement income needs. Action plan: 1) Identify what annual or long service leave you have available to you and whether you want to serve this out before retiring or take it as a lump sum. Discuss this with your employer. 2) Check with your employer when you will receive your final super contributions (and any other benefits) and check if you need to take any action to ensure the transfer of super monies if held in a corporate account. 3) Use the ATO’s income calculator to understand how much take home pay you might receive from part time or casual work. Income tax calculator | Australian Taxation Office

  3. 5d ago

    Topic Ten: Retirement Accommodation Options

    As part of your retirement planning you may be considering where you want to live - perhaps you are considering a tree or sea change? Maybe addressing health needs or unlocking some of the capital you have invested in a family home are priorities for you? In this episode we talk about retirement accommodation options - why you might move, what financial considerations need to be made, what loans or funding might be available, and a brief look at specialist retirement accommodation. There is no action plan for this topic but the link below is for more details of the Home Equity Access Scheme that is discussed: Home Equity Access Scheme - Services Australia

  4. 5d ago

    Topic Twelve: Estate Planning

    Retirement is a significant life event and an important time to review your estate planning documents to ensure they are up to date and in line with your changed circumstances and wishes. In this episode we look at some of the key documents you might want to put in place to cover estate planning including POAs, will, testamentary trusts and how superannuation/life insurance and joint assets could need separate arrangements. Action plan: 1)       Consider putting an EPOA in place now to cover any unplanned need for financial and/or health decisions to be made on your behalf or review your existing ones; 2)       Check your superannuation and/or life insurance accounts have valid beneficiary nominations; 3)       Make a will and/or check it is up to date; 4)       Consider an Advanced Health Directive if health decisions are important to you; 5)       Consider Testamentary Trusts and potentially other specialist estate planning vehicles if you have very specific concerns about the distribution of your assets on passing; 6)       Have a family discussion about your estate planning wishes; 7)       Clean out the filing cabinet and make sure a list of all your assets, liabilities, income streams and personal belongings that you wish to pass on are clearly identifiable and accessible. 8) Get professional advice from both a financial adviser and an estate planning legal expert.

  5. Aug 19

    Topic Eight: Retirement Income Calculators

    In this episode I talk you through how long your retirement income might last you by working your details through the Moneysmart tool. Even if you choose not to use the tool yourself, this episode will help with guidance in terms of what information you need and decisions you will have to assume to help a financial adviser give you the most accurate outcome for predicting how much money you need to retire and meet your income goals. Links: Retirement planner - Moneysmart.gov.au Action plan: 1) Sit down and work out what assumptions you are going to use for salary, other income, asset values (and debt), retirement income needs and how you want to invest your money. You might want to use current values or factor in future decisions to buy/sell assets and how you want to invest those funds to get an idea of how that might change the model.

  6. Aug 19

    Topic Seven: Retirement Income Needs

    For most people about to retire I'm sure the primary questions in the front of your mind are “But how do I work out how much retirement income I need and/or can I afford to retire?”. In this episode I explore the ways you can determine your retirement income need so that you have a solid figure in mind for the use of a retirement calculator which we will work through in the next episode. Links: Budget planner - Moneysmart.gov.au Retirement Standard - ASFA Action plan: 1) Sit down and work out what’s really important to you when it comes to spending in retirement. If you have a partner make sure you include them. Perhaps separate spending into those three buckets: a) basic cost of living b) items you would really like to be able to afford to do c) more extravagant and one off spending. That way you will know which ones to tweak or make sacrifices in depending on what you decided were the most important things for you. 2) Visit ASIC Moneysmart and download their budget planner. Or use your bank’s spending tracker tools or a combination of both. 3) Visit ASFA’s Retirement Standards to help make sure you haven’t forgotten any items in your budget and see what estimates are of some spending examples to help you complete your budget planner.  4) Consider setting up a separate bank account either for your savings – that amount of your salary or other income above what your retirement income amount is going to be. See if you can live off this for 6-12 months to test it out.

  7. Aug 19

    Topic six: Centrelink including the age pension

    Many retirees look to get income from a number of sources including from their super fund and outside assets and income. Many might also be hopeful to supplement their income with government support through Centrelink payments like the age pension. The age pension is designed as a safety net for retirees to help meet the basic cost of living for those that need it most so payments made by Centrelink are subject to eligibility. In this topic I talk through the type of payments that are available and what sort of eligibility requirements there may be. Notes: Who can get Age Pension - Age Pension - Services Australia Online estimators - Accessing our services - Services Australia Commonwealth Seniors Health Card - Services Australia Getting a payment if you’re a carer - Caring for someone - Services Australia Action Plan: 1)       Visit the Centrelink website to check eligibility requirements and potentially use their Payment Finder to help with this or contact a Financial Services Information Officer (FISO) if you believe you may be immediately eligible. 2) If accessing the government age pension is a high priority for you consider getting financial advice to help with assessing if your assets and income are structure to maximise your chances of becoming eligible.

  8. Aug 18

    Topic Five: Investments Outside Super

    Some people prefer to hold some or all of their money outside super either because they like to have their money spread around, or they weren’t able to get all their money in super, or they want an early retirement and to be able to access funds before 60, and/or they have a legacy investment or income products that have different options available to them. In this session I talk at a very high level about alternative financial products that are available and their pros and cons. Action plan: 1) Seek advice from an independent financial adviser to assist with understanding and strategy for the right types of financial products to suit your circumstances and retirement income needs.

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About

Are you 5-10 years out from retirement in Australia or are you ready right now to take the plunge into retirement? Perhaps you have already retired but aren’t sure if you’ve optimised your finances to get the best mix of enjoying life now and longevity of your funds. The Retirement School takes you through a step by step guide of everything you need to know about money in retirement. It covers topics from superannuation through to retirement income, age pension, downsizing and making sure you estate planning is in order. This is a 12 part series which you can learn at your own pace. We include action plans for each topic and useful links and other resources to help you personalise your retirement journey from a financial perspective. 

Information

  • Creator
    Bec Sullivan
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Retirement School
  • Show Website
    The Retirement School