Choosing the right super risk profile

Choosing the right super risk profile at the right time can drastically increase your retirement savings.

The following considerations will help you invest wisely when it comes to building your retirement nest egg.

Types of investment options
Your super fund should offer a range of investment options to consider. Here is what to know about each kind of option:

• Aggressive options are high risk, and you may have to sustain significant losses hoping to maximise your return in the long-term
• Growth options aiming for higher returns over longer terms may sustain some losses in poorly performing markets
• Balanced options provide moderate growth but endure less damage with an economic downturn
• Conservative options provide a lower return but are the lowest risk option

Picking the right option
The investment option right for you depends on your retirement goals, your financial circumstances and your attitude towards risk. Your timeframe for investment should be substantial if you are looking at high-risk options as you have a considerable opportunity to recover from any losses. As your income stabilises and your retirement comes closer consider shifting to a low-risk alternative to secure what you have built up. You may also want to look to your assets like your business or various properties that may also help you fund your retirement when assessing if you can afford to take a risk.

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News

Expert advice on early superannuation access as a result of COVID-19

April 2, 2020

Under the coronavirus stimulus package released and revised by the Australian Federal Government on 22 March 2020, individuals in financial trouble due to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 will be able to access their superannuation funds early. However, while the option is available, it is recommended that individuals only consider withdrawing from their super in the case of absolute emergencies and treat it as a last resort.

With the new rules on superannuation, workers whose incomes are reduced by at least 20% due to the COVID-19 outbreak are allowed to take $10,000 out of their super for the 2019-20 financial year and another $10,000 for 2020-21. Individuals will also not need to pay tax on any withdrawn amounts and existing welfare payments will not be affected either.

While the introduced early access to superannuation funds may be inviting for newly unemployed workers, it is important to consider whether the temporary relief is necessary and worth foregoing super funds available for long term investment. For example, even when accounting for Australia’s slowing economy in the coming years, $10,000 is predicted to be worth over $65,000 in another 30 years.

Especially for younger workers who are less likely to have access to other savings, the choice to give up future savings for current comfort is a difficult one. Experts instead are recommending Australians to apply for the other payments and benefits made available to vulnerable Australians through the coronavirus stimulus package, such as added $550 fortnightly supplements to Australians on JobSeeker payments and other welfare recipients and pensioners.

Experts also predict that the Australian Government will introduce more stimuli for increased cash flow in the Australian economy and more payments for unemployed, struggling and vulnerable Australians in the case of COVID-19 becoming more of a serious economic issue. Hence, withdrawing funds from your superannuation account should be considered a last resort and not for the sake of unnecessary temporary relief.

In addition to being allowed early access into individual super funds, superannuation minimum drawdown rates will also be temporarily reduced by 50% for account-based pensions and others similar until 2021.

The Government has also reduced the upper and lower social security deeming rates by a further 0.25 percentage points, with upper at 2.25% and lower at 0.25% which will come into effect on 1 May 2020.

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