Planning your retirement
Plan your next chapter today so that you can enjoy a better, brighter tomorrow
It’s never too early, or too late, to think about what you might want your life to look like when you stop working.
Planning for retirement doesn’t have to be stressful, complicated, or exhausting – we’re here to make it easy for you.
With our guidance, you can understand how much money you’ll need to support your retirement goals, and establish a clear plan of how you can achieve them.
Find out if you're on track
Before you start mapping out a strategy, you’ll need a reliable estimate of how much money you can expect to retire with. Our tools help you estimate your future income, based on your super and other earnings, and compare your progress against others of a similar age.
Once you know where you stand, you can start filling in the gap towards where you want to be – by taking advantage of strategies and tools from our comprehensive retirement service.
How much income will I need to support the retirement I want?
Discover how much money you might need
How much income will you have when you retire?
Find out with our retirement calculator
How do your super savings compare to others your age?
Find out with our Super Comparison Tool
Miriam's story
I’d always dreamed of a relaxing retirement. One that let me enjoy my hobbies, and spend time with my family. I worked hard for many years. I raised all my children. But I wasn’t sure what to do with my finances, and thought I needed help. So when my husband passed away in 2005, I went to see a financial adviser for the first time. They helped me put a plan in place for my retirement, and they recommended CFS for my superannuation.
I still remember coming out of that first meeting and feeling like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. When I turned 65, I knew exactly what I had to do. So I got in contact with CFS to access my super, and a guidance consultant helped me set up an income stream. They were very helpful, and this allowed me to start receiving regular payments from my super right away.
The support I got from CFS reassured me that I had put my money in the right place. It’s nice to know that every fortnight I’m going to have a payday from my account.
* based on a real member story. Personal details have been changed for privacy reasons.
Start building towards your dream retirement
Set clear goals
You might set goals related to the lifestyle you want to enjoy, how often you’re able to travel, how much money you want to leave behind for loved ones, or simply to live comfortably after you stop working. Whatever they are, make them clear and achievable.
Create a plan
A smart plan will allow your retirement savings to work for you. Growing your super as you approach your retirement years, starting a tax-free income stream, or applying for government benefits like the Age Pension, can be some of the best ways to set yourself up for a more secure financial future.
Track your progress
You never know what’s around the corner. Your goals, priorities, and your personal circumstances, can change over time. If your vision for retirement becomes more ambitious, or more modest, as your life progresses, be ready to adjust your strategy to suit your goals.
Want to grow your super to make the most of your tax-free retirement income stream?
Discover super-boosting strategies
Would you like to save money, time, and reduce your admin by combining your super accounts?
Combine your accounts and find lost super
Want easy, 24/7 access to your retirement accounts through our mobile app?
Download our mobile app
Your retirement checklist
Use our retirement calculator to learn how much money you might have access to when you retire.
Consider all your retirement income streams, including your super, employment, and other investments.
Also consider whether you have any outstanding debts, or multiple super accounts. Multiple super accounts will cost you more in fees and affect your retirement savings, so you should consider consolidating your super.
Do you want a modest retirement, a comfortable retirement, or do you want to enjoy even more freedom? You can use the ASFA guidelines to give you an idea of what lifestyle you can aim towards with your savings. You can also use our retirement calculator to estimate how much you may need for the retirement lifestyle you want.
Once you have a clear idea of your retirement goals, you can determine how much you need to earn to get you there.
If you’re not on track to meet your goals, there are several things you can do to boost your retirement wealth. For example, topping up your super savings. This can be an effective way to get you closer to your goals.
Making voluntary contributions to your super, or setting up salary sacrifice, are two ways to build up your super savings.
Working part-time is another option.
If you own property, or have other investments like shares, you need to consider whether to keep or sell them.
If you have any debt, you'll need to consider how you will to pay it down.
You’ll also need to think about the tax impact of these decisions, and how it might affect your eligibility for other benefits.
When you turn 60, your super will become accessible to you. Starting an income stream may be an effective way for you to supplement your earnings or support yourself financially, compared to keeping your money in super.
Setting up an income stream through a transition to retirement pension or account based pension can provide reliable, ongoing income to you. Learn about which income stream is right for you.
When you originally opened your super account, insurance might’ve been added automatically. It could also have been arranged outside of your super.
Typically, this could be Death cover; or Death & Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) cover. There’s Income Protection, known as Salary Continuance Insurance (SCI) cover.
It’s important to review your level of insurance as your circumstances change. For example, your insurance needs may have changed over time, due to increased wealth, reduced debt, or changes in your family situation. Keeping your insurance updated could make a big difference to you and your loved ones.
To ensure your money goes to your loved ones in the event of your death, you can nominate someone to receive your super.
However, there are various conditions which apply, as well as tax implications. You should consider these to make an informed decision.
We have a variety of advice services tailored to our members. Whether you're looking for something specific or need help figuring out what suits you best, we're here to guide you based on your unique needs and the complexity of your situation. Speak to our guidance consultants for help putting your plan to action. Book a free retirement consultation.
Need help?
Get a head start on your planning.
Our guidance consultants are here to help you every step of the way on your retirement journey – at no extra cost.
We can help you understand if you’re on track towards your dream retirement, discuss super boosting strategies, and provide general financial advice.
We can also recommend more comprehensive financial advice options, if that’s what you need.
Schedule a free appointment today, or call us on 13 13 36.
Janet, Guidance consultant at CFS
Avanteos Investments Limited ABN 20 096 259 979, AFSL 245531 (AIL) is the trustee of the Colonial First State FirstChoice Superannuation Trust ABN 26 458 298 557 and issuer of FirstChoice range of super and pension products.
Information on this webpage is provided by AIL. It may include general advice but does not consider your individual objectives, financial situation, needs or tax circumstances. You can find the target market determinations (TMD) for our financial products at https://www.cfs.com.au/tmd which include a description of who a financial product might suit. You should read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Financial Services Guide (FSG) carefully, assess whether the information is appropriate for you, and consider talking to a financial adviser before making an investment decision. You can get the PDS and FSG at www.cfs.com.au or by calling us on 13 13 36.
Past performance or awards are no indication of future performance.