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START HERE: How Do You know if You Can Afford to Retire?

START HERE: How Do You know if You Can Afford to Retire?

Published 5 days, 8 hours ago
Description

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So you’ve built up a strong super balance but still feel unsure about retiring — you are not alone.

In this Start Here episode, Canna answers a powerful listener question:

“I have $830,000 in super and I’m in my early 60s… but how do I know if I can actually afford to retire?”

Retirement isn’t just about hitting a number. It’s about knowing whether your superannuation can safely generate income for 20–30 years — while protecting you from inflation, market volatility and longevity risk.

In this episode, Canna breaks down:

  • How to calculate how much you really need to live each year
  • How long your retirement savings may need to last
  • The importance of investment strategy inside super
  • What an account-based pension (allocated pension) actually is
  • How super is taxed in pension phase (0% earnings tax explained)
  • Minimum drawdown rates after age 60
  • When super withdrawals are tax-free
  • The role of the Age Pension in later retirement
  • The “Sleep Well Strategy” — holding 2 years of expenses in cash
  • Why emotional readiness matters just as much as financial readiness
  • Why professional retirement modelling is essential before you resign

Whether you have $300,000 or $3 million in super, this episode will help you ask better questions, reduce uncertainty and prepare properly for retirement.

Retirement isn’t about guessing.

It’s about designing your next chapter with clarity and structure and getting professional advice when needed. 

🧭 Episode Breakdown

00:00 – Listener Question: “Is $830,000 enough?”

04:00 – How much do you actually need per year?

08:00 – Longevity risk & inflation explained

12:00 – How your super is invested matters

16:00 – The Sleep Well Strategy (2 years in cash)

19:00 – What is an allocated pension? (Tax-free income explained)

23:00 – Minimum withdrawal rates & lump sum rules

26:00 – Age Pension strategy & asset tests

29:00 – Emotional readiness & purpose in retirement

32:00 – Why retirement modelling with a financial planner is essential

📚 My Books

If you’re ready to deepen your financial knowledge, check out my books:

(These are Amazon affiliate links to my own books.)

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Want more support on your financial journey? Here’s how we can work together:

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