Advice Loop

You may have noticed a few financial advisers popping up in your feed lately asking to be voted for. Fair enough if it looked a bit strange out of context, so let me explain.

It's the Financial Standard Power 50. A list of the 50 most influential advisers in the country.

There's no cash, no trophy, no title. It's recognition, and it helps get the message in front of more people. That's really the only reason I care about it.

I've been nominated this year. That came as a surprise, because I've only been putting this sort of content out for 10 to 12 months.

If you've got a minute and you've found any of it useful, here's how it works. The link is in the first comment of the post. If it isn't clicking through for you, the same link is in my bio. Once you're on the page you scroll down through the list, which is organised alphabetically by first name, so head to L. Click my name, vote, and that's it.

There are plenty of other good advisers on that list too. Vote for them as well if you like what they do. Sharing is caring.

One thing worth saying plainly: nothing I post is personal advice. It's general information, and it doesn't account for your circumstances.

If you do vote, drop me a comment so I can say thanks. And if there's a topic you'd like me to cover next, tell me. I'm happy to keep making them.

Cheers.

Two of the most common questions I get as a financial adviser are how much super might I need for a comfortable retirement, and how much Age Pension might I still qualify for.

So I sat down and wrote it out on a piece of paper.

Here are the assumptions first, because they matter. A couple, both aged 67. Homeowners with no debt. Around $100,000 in personal assets, meaning non-financial assets that aren't deemed under the income test but still count against you under the assets test. And drawdowns of anywhere between 5% and 8% a year, depending on what's safe for you.

Start at $400,000 in super. You'd be entitled to just under the full Age Pension, just under $47,000 a year. Add a 5% drawdown from super and that's another $20,000. Total income: $67,000 a year. Like it or hate it, that's the number.

Next step up, $600,000 in super. The Age Pension drops to around $31,000 a year. At that balance I'd be a bit more comfortable drawing 6%, which is $36,000. Total: $67,000 a year.

Same as the lower amount. So you might reasonably ask what the point of the extra $200,000 is.

The point is you've got an extra $200,000 in super to spend on whatever you want to spend it on. And as that balance drops, your pension entitlement goes back up. It's a much better position to be in.

At $800,000, the pension entitlement drops to around $16,000. But you can probably draw 7%, taking your total to about $72,000 a year. That's getting a lot closer to what ASFA defines as a comfortable standard of living for a couple who own their home in retirement.

And at around $1,000,000, you clock out of the Age Pension entirely. That's where the cap ends. But you can draw around $80,000 a year from the account-based pension to live off. If that balance starts to drop, you come back into a part Age Pension, which brings the pensioner concession card with it.

I'm not saying any of this is right for you. It might not be. These are general figures built on the assumptions above, not personal advice, and things like your health, your other assets and how long the money has to last will move every one of these numbers.

Any questions, ask away in the comments or send me a message.

Advice Loop

Two questions come up more than any others in my meetings.

How much super do I need for a comfortable retirement? And how much Age Pension will I still get?

So I drew it out on a piece of paper. This is for a single, aged 67 or over, homeowner with no debt, around $70,000 in personal assets, drawing 5% to 8% a year from super as an account-based pension.

$280,000 in super. You get around $30,000 a year of Age Pension, just under the $31,000 maximum. Add a 5% drawdown and you're on about $44,000 a year.

$400,000 in super. Age Pension drops to around $20,000. Draw 6% and you land on about $44,000 a year. Same as before.

Which is when people say, why would I bother with the extra $120,000?

Because it's still yours. Same income, more in the tank, more room if something goes wrong. I wouldn't spend it down just to get a bigger pension, but that's your call.

$530,000 in super. Pension falls to around $10,000. A 7% drawdown is about $37,000. Total, a shade under $47,000 a year. That starts to feel a bit more comfortable.

$660,000 in super. That tips you just over the threshold, so the Age Pension is zero. You're living entirely off your own balance, around $53,000 a year at an 8% drawdown.

I'm not saying any of those are great. That's just where the sweet spots sit.

And look, this isn't personal advice. Every fund is different, every person is different, and your numbers will move if you're a couple, if you rent, or if your assets sit differently.

Want me to explain it further? Comment below or send us a DM. 📄

Advice Loop

Earning more doesn’t always mean keeping more.

Once your income pushes into the top tax bracket, a significant portion of each extra dollar can go straight to tax - even though the effort required to earn it often increases.

That’s where strategy and finding the income 'sweet spot' come into play.

Read how we helped a client work through this exact situation 🔗 https://adviceloop.com.au/resource/is-200000-the-income-sweet-spot-in-australia-a-real-life-tax-breakdown/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=June_2026&utm_medium=organic_social

Advice Loop

Running a business comes with enough moving parts, without your financial strategy adding to the juggle.

For Melissa, the right advice brought clarity across both her business and personal life.

'Advice Loop has helped in so many areas, personal and professional. Running a business is difficult at times, and it’s great to get honest, helpful advice designed to help your personal financial future.'
- Melissa Bartlett

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