More people are permanently leaving the workforce with larger balances and healthy lifestyles. It should be a recipe for a happy and secure retirement, but research shows many are stressed by a retirement income system they simply don’t understand.
With older Australians accounting for one-third of scam losses totalling $319 million in 2024, they will be on the front line of a government initiative to provide the necessary tools to detect and stop fraudulent behaviour.
It’s been a big year for retirees, with superannuation balances bobbing at high tide thanks to markets that seem impervious to global risks and historic investment cycles. Despite the threat of regulatory turmoil and the usual coterie of economic pressures, retirees continued to live their best lives in 2024. These were the stories that mattered.
With women living longer than men on average, it’s often forgotten that almost half the intergenerational transfer won’t even be intergenerational – it will be horizontal or intra-generational because it will be passed on to spouses.
A UK research report has found a growing number of couples over 60 live in separate households, a trend particularly pronounced among those entering a new relationship at this stage of their lives. Improved mental health is a bonus.
While industrial remains the commercial property sweet spot, convenience retail, which is largely immune to e-commerce, is proving an excellent defensive asset.
To tackle the mental illness and social isolation that can tragically accompany ageing, six AI characters have been recruited to offer patience, empathy, knowledge and friendly encouragement to those suffering.
The Australian Energy Market Commission insists consumers are protected in its final ruling. The National Seniors Association begs to differ, arguing these changes will punish those who don’t understand how to change their energy use.
With Australia in the early stages of a $3.5 trillion wealth transfer, there are significant opportunities for charities to benefit. Luckily for them, a growing number of families agree that their wealth should be more equitably shared.
Industry funds played a deft hand when the bulk of their members were in the accumulation phase. With members now retiring in growing numbers, a new skill set is urgently needed – and the reforms to overhaul the decumulation phase announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers could help.
