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James Coyle
James has over 35 years experience in financial services with particular expertise in two of the key components of retirement finance - Superannuation and the Age Pension. He is passionate about providing the guidance and support that can help older Australians enjoy their best possible retirement. He lives in regional Victoria surrounded by dogs and chooks.
As always, you guys are on the case for us oldies. I look forward to sorting all this myself as soon as I finish up work.
Good morning I need someone to help me work out if I can retire snd receive the pension. I’m finding it very confusing. Is that something you do. Prepare and submit an application ?
Hi Sue, thank you for reaching out for help planning your retirement. For you and anyone else who would like to have a discussion with someone they can trust about retirement we do offer financial advice consultations.
Our financial advice consultations are designed to help you better understand your needs and goals in retirement and some of the actions you can consider to help you achieve those goals. The consultation is online, goes for up to 45 minutes and costs $150.
CLICK HERE to book now.
My husband is 64and I am 61. We have both retired . My husband has 500 K in super and on a allocated pension . I have 630k in super in accumulation . If I start an allocated pension , can I stop this allocated pension and put back into accumulation before my husband applies for the pension or Will my super be classified as an asset as I had previously been drawing down an allocated pension .
Hi Gayle, thank you for reaching out for help planning your retirement. For you and anyone else who would like to have a discussion with someone they can trust about retirement we do offer financial advice consultations.
Our financial advice consultations are designed to help you better understand your needs and goals in retirement and some of the actions you can consider to help you achieve those goals. The consultation is online, goes for up to 45 minutes and costs $150.
CLICK HERE to book now.
does centrelink automatically update accumulated super fund balances in our assets like they do super pension funds or is the responsibility of ourselves to do?
Hi Ron, great question! Centrelink do receive updates on your super balances regardless of whether it is in a pension or accumulation account. The reason being is that it is the super funds who provide Centrelink with an update, Centrelink do not have access to check on their own. Therefore there is an exception for people who have Self-Managed Super Funds, they are required to update Centrelink of any changes themselves.
Hi people I have applied through your company, am curious at to weather I am elligable for the supplemental bonus as It did not show when my calculation was finnished. Am under asset levels but still only received about 70% of partner pension.
Is this a separate application??
Hi Bryan, thanks for reaching out! Any/All supplements are automatically taken into account and included in the Age Pension figure Retirement Essentials provides. There are no separate claims required, Centrelink will automatically assess your eligibility for and apply any supplements when they approve your claim.
I have continued to work (part time now) to the age of 70 yrs. I have been able to draw down some accumulation funds for renovations, travel etc over the past 5yrs and I believe I am eligible for a full or near full Centrelink Age Pension. My question is can I start the pension application process up to 13 weeks before I leave work?
Hi Lesley, thanks for reaching out! There is an income threshold that you need to be under and if you already are, you can actually apply now whilst still working and then when you retire you would update Centrelink and your Pension would be recalculated. If you are currently over the income threshold then you cannot apply even 1 week early as Centrelink assess you as of the day you apply with no consideration given to potential changes in the future.
It appears you have completed our eligibility calculator recently and were sent a report clarifying whether or not you can apply now. This report also includes the income threshold applicable to yourself so that you can see how far over or under you are and act accordingly.
Find your comments and articles so good.Many Thanks,will be in touch soon
I am recently widowed and my pension has been stopped.
I live in Melbourne and would like to know if you can help me deal with centrelink paperwork etc. or do you only have clients in N.S.W.?
Any advise would be appreciated.
Hi Mavis, thanks for reaching out! We can help anyone across Australia as the process is the same wherever you are located. We will send you an email detailing the next steps and how we can assist with preparing your claim.
My husband is on a defined benefit (Commonwealth Super Scheme) with a gross income of around $90,000, and tax is about $78,000.
Can you confirm that there’s no chance with us getting a CHSC as it’s our GROSS income that’s assessed, not our net ?
Hi Ricky, thanks for reaching out! The couple’s income threshold for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is $92,416 (slightly higher than the Age Pension’s $84,167) so if there are no other sources of income (including deemed income from account based pensions) other than the defined benefit, you would be able to apply for the CSHC.