A quick guide to age pension thresholds and amounts

We’ve been comparing the upcoming residential aged care means testing rules against the current system, and the findings speak for themselves and this Is How You Could End Up Paying $40K+ More Each Year for Aged Care from July 1 this year.

Entering a retirement village can be exciting, offering community and convenience. However, navigating the financial complexities of your contract is crucial for a smooth and secure transition. From understanding the exit fees to forecasting Centrelink eligibility, the financial landscape can be daunting.

This guide will break down key steps, empowering you to make informed decisions at every stage, from initial review to annual check-ins. Let's demystify the process and ensure your retirement is financially sound.

We've spent a lot of time getting the inside track on retirement village contracts - seeing how the numbers work, where the pitfalls are, and what really matters when making a decision. The old adage 'the tip of the iceberg' fits this industry perfectly - what's obvious upfront is rarely the whole picture. Price discovery needs to happen at the start of the journey, not as a last-minute surprise.

As part of our advice on managing ongoing aged care payments, we often recommend paying a Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD) as it can positively affect the overall cost of care.

On October 1st ABC’s 7.30 Report focused on Retirement villages accused of gouging older Australians in 'corporatised elder abuse' and investigated the financial risk faced by more than 250,000 Australians living in retirement villages.

Recently, we worked with a family arranging aged care for their father. We started with two main issues to manage:

Did you know that you have the right to a written summary of the status of your village contract once a year?

The Federal Government's new Aged Care Bill aims to fix a broken system. If you're a self-funded retiree, you'll be subsidising the changes.

Before signing on the dotted line for your new life in a retirement village, what must you do?

We all want to make sure our kids are looked after. It is what parents do.

Working out the impact of being eligible for the age pension on your household budget can take some serious number crunching if you are still working. It’s worth the effort.