Pension changes will impact retirement adequacyBY KERRIE SYDEE | FRIDAY, 12 AUG 2016 12:32PMImpending changes to the aged pension asset test thresholds will have a significant impact on the number of couples able to achieve a comfortable retirement, according to new research from Willis Towers Watson (WTW). Related News |
Editor's Choice
FAAA says super trustees should stump up for CSLR
The Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) has called on Treasury to cut the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) special levy on the advice sector to zero and for superannuation trustees to stump up for the scheme.
HESTA unveils new leaders for property, financial risk
HESTA has named a pair of general managers, who will be joining the $107 billion super fund, joining from Aware Super and QIC.
ASIC issues more stop orders amid private credit crackdown
ASIC has issued another stop order on a PDS offering units in three registered managed investment schemes.
Life CCC spots 10.6k breaches in FY26
The Life Code Compliance Committee has published its FY26 annual report, which saw over 10,600 breaches by insurers with close to 30,000 customers affected.
Further Reading
Products
Expert Feed
When geopolitics becomes a portfolio risk
Geopolitics is back - again - and Australian investors can no longer treat it as distant background noise.
Does association membership still matter?
With all the changes the advice sector has experienced in recent years, such as regulatory reform and increased education and professional standards ...
Digital assets and where they stand in 2026
So far in 2026 digital assets have captured the headlines largely for the wrong reasons, but that doesn't tell the full story.
Rethinking default design in a changing market environment
The evolution underway in the US DC system highlights the value of periodically reassessing default design assumptions.
Featured Profile
Cliff Man
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
ETF SHARES MANAGEMENT LTD
ETF SHARES MANAGEMENT LTD
ETF Shares chief executive Cliff Man spent his career automating, building and challenging established systems. Now, he is betting that Australia's ETF market has room for something different. Vinny Vucago writes.
The Financial Standard podcast Tune in each week as we discuss the latest developments in Australia's wealth management industry. |  |
Mr Rundeman of IOOF says that in addition to loss of the pension, mid-range wealth retirees will have '$600 to $700' of additional expenditure' through loss of concessional benefits.
State benefits vary from state to state but to take NSW as an example, I estimate that the loss to me and my wife of the pension will cause an additional expenditure of at least $2000-$2500 per annum through loss of other benefits.
For example: Car registration (now free) +$350; Water charges (pensioner rebate) p.a. +$600; Rates (pensioner rebate) p.a.+$250; doctor (loss of bulk billing) (4 visits each p.a.) + $200, medical procedures (regular scans for hip and DVD) (loss of bulk billing) +$250; loss of pensioner entertainment discounts for tickets (2 people) + $400. One of our few joys is the annual opera in the park for which pensioner tickets are almost half price. Attending in future would be $200 extra alone.
I have been very disappointed at the standard of debate and the ignorance of politicians on this issue. Just for starters no one ever takes into account that there is only one pension for a couple, but there two people who will have to pay.