Answers
Practical answers to high-intent retirement questions. Each page includes visible sources and a current-as-of date.
Super rules
- Account-based pension (ABP) vs Transition to Retirement (TTR/TRIS): what’s the difference?
- Can I change my drawdown amount during the year?
- Can I stop an income stream and move the money back to accumulation or take a lump sum?
- How is the minimum drawdown calculated?
- How is the minimum drawdown pro-rated if I start my pension part-way through the year?
- Is there a maximum amount I can withdraw from an account-based pension each year?
- Should I draw more than the minimum super drawdown?
- What are the 2026 minimum super drawdown rates?
- What happens if my fund doesn’t pay the minimum drawdown in a year?
- What’s the difference between taking a lump sum and starting an income stream?
- When exactly can I access my super?
Age Pension
- How are account-based pensions tested vs money in the bank?
- How do I report super income changes to Centrelink?
- How do my partner’s assets affect our Age Pension?
- How does super affect my Age Pension?
- What are the current deeming rates?
- What impact does gifting money have on the Age Pension?
- What is the Work Bonus for the Age Pension?
Tax rules
- Are super withdrawals tax-free after Age Pension age?
- How are investment earnings taxed in accumulation vs retirement phase?
- How are super withdrawals taxed after preservation age?
- How are super withdrawals taxed?
- How does TBC indexation work, and when does it apply?
- Is my super income tax-free in retirement?
- Should I keep some money outside super for flexibility?
- What are the tax implications of commuting part of my pension to a lump sum?
- What is the Transfer Balance Cap (TBC) and why does it matter in retirement?
Big picture
Behavioural
Housing/aged care/estate
- Downsizing my home: what’s the impact on super and the Age Pension?
- How are super death benefits taxed when paid to adult children?
- How do beneficiary nominations work for super?
- How do I coordinate my will, power of attorney and super nominations?
- How do I plan for aged care costs?
- Should I pay off my mortgage using super?
- What are the downsizer contribution rules?
- What is a reversionary pension, and how does it work when someone dies?
Drawdown strategy
- Annuity (lifetime income) vs account-based pension: what’s the difference?
- How do I manage sequence risk?
- How do I stress-test my retirement income plan?
- How do lumpy costs fit into a drawdown strategy?
- How much cash buffer do I need?
- Is it better to draw from super first or from savings outside super?
- Should I keep growth assets in retirement?
- What are the main drawdown strategies in retirement?
- When should I review my drawdown strategy?