9 September 2026

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Why have Australian living standards 'fallen' and how do we fix it?Will you run out of money in retirement?Four options for an income investor’s next dollar Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

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Super to reach $6 trillion in 17 years

Graham Hand
27 March 2013

Speakers at the recent Conference of Major Superannuation Funds (CMSF) said the super system will increase from the current $1.3 trillion $6 trillion in 2030. That's 180% of the GDP, and only 17 years from now. There were also predictions of far greater use of global equities, mainly because the Australian equity market is small.

The pension and superannuation access ages will both rise and be merged into the same timing, and there will be a move to take annuity payments, not lump sums.

Fiona Trafford-Walker, Managing Director of Frontier, predicted a slowdown in SMSFs "... as people realise it is not that fun and that it is hard to manage your own money." Fiona may be overlooking the fact that the software required to run and account for an SMSF is improving all the time, and that the administrative burden will be eased in future for little cost.

27 March 2013

Most viewed in recent weeks

Why have Australian living standards 'fallen' and how do we fix it?

For the last few years there has been much talk of a 'cost-of-living' crisis in Australia and of 'falling living standards'. Lately this has flared up again with the pickup in inflation resulting in a renewed fall in real wages.

Shane Oliver
5 August 2026

Will you run out of money in retirement?

Fear of running out has become a defining retirement anxiety. Why do some retirees die with substantial wealth while others deplete their nest egg? Evidence suggests the answer is more complicated than we think.

Harry Chemay
12 August 2026

Four options for an income investor’s next dollar

What if Australia’s golden age of dividends is ending? Rather than overhaul your portfolio, it may be worth considering where new capital can work harder. I discuss four income strategies and the trade-offs behind each.

Mark LaMonica CFA
5 August 2026

Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

Conventional wisdom encourages retirees to preserve superannuation. But if those likely to qualify for the Age Pension later in life spend a little more today, it may deliver higher lifetime income and a more stable retirement.

David Knox
2 September 2026

The investment that sidesteps the new tax traps

Tax rules have changed, but many investors are still using yesterday’s strategies. Insurance bonds may offer advantages for those seeking greater control, tax efficiency and certainty about their wealth.

Noel Whittaker
12 August 2026

Testamentary trusts have secured the CGT exemption

Treasury’s latest CGT reform draft delivers a win for testamentary trusts and deceased estates, exempting estate-derived gains from the 30% floor. However, questions on death and divorce rollovers remain unresolved.

Rachael Rofe
19 August 2026

Latest Updates

Retirement

Why spending more in early retirement can improve lifetime income

David Knox
2 September 2026
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SMSF strategies

Who really loses from the SMSF borrowing ban?

The ban on borrowing to buy residential property inside a self-managed super fund was framed as closing a loophole for the wealthy. Yet ATO data suggests its effects may be felt more heavily on members with moderate balances.

Dr Ruchith Dissanayake, Dr Ama Samarasinghe
2 September 2026
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Investment strategies

The investing rule that explains the next market crash

What if investment success depends less on picking the right assets and more on understanding the decisions of other investors? A principle borrowed from game theory offers a different perspective on markets.

Shani Jayamanne
2 September 2026
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Investment strategies

Gold: should you own the metal or the miners?

Gold is back in the headlines but investors may be asking the wrong question. Before deciding where prices are headed next, it's worth considering whether the investment you choose will deliver the outcome you're actually seeking.

David Tuckwell
2 September 2026
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Fixed interest

Global bonds markets are hiccupping

For decades, investors looked the other way as government debt ballooned. But a reckoning may be beginning. Bond markets are stirring and the consequences could reach far beyond markets into everyday life.

Michael Collins
2 September 2026
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Property

Why investors are looking beyond traditional property sectors

A little-known corner of the property market may be quietly benefiting from powerful demographic and healthcare trends. Could this specialised sector offer investors something increasingly difficult to find: enduring demand?

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Retirement in reality - 6 months in

Is retirement really an identity crisis, or is something else at play? New insights challenge conventional thinking and reveal why some retirees struggle to fully embrace life after work.

Dr Joanne Earl
2 September 2026
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Super to reach $6 trillion in 17 years