Super in your 40s. It’s time to get focused.

Super in your 40s. It’s time to get focused.

Typically your forties is a time of established careers, teenage kids and a mortgage that is no longer daunting. There are still plenty of demands on the budget, but by this age there’s a good chance there’s some spare cash that can be put to good use. As you pass the halfway mark of your working life, it’s time to give retirement planning a bit more attention.

How much?

A 45-year-old today will reach ‘retirement age’ in 22 years. Taking inflation into account a couple will, by then, need around $120,385 per year if they want to enjoy a ‘comfortable’ retirement[1].

A beneficial sacrifice

At this age, a popular strategy for boosting retirement savings is ‘salary sacrifice’ in which you take a cut in take-home pay in exchange for personal tax concessions and additional pre-tax contributions to your super. If you are self-employed, you can increase your tax-deductible contributions, within the concessional limit, to gain the same benefit.

Salary sacrificing provides a double benefit. Not only are you adding more money to your retirement balance, these contributions and their earnings are taxed at up to 15% within superannuation. If you earn between $120,001 and $180,000 per year that money would otherwise be taxed at 39% including Medicare Levy. Sacrifice $1,000 per month over the course of a year and you’ll be $2,880 better off just from the tax benefits alone.

It’s important to remember that if combined salary sacrifice and superannuation guarantee contributions exceed the annual cap ($27,500 for 2021/22) the amount above this limit will be added to your assessable income and taxed at your marginal tax rate with an offset.

What about the mortgage?

Paying the mortgage down quickly has long been a sound wealth-building strategy for many. Current low interest rates and the tax benefits of salary sacrifice, combined with a good long-term investment return, means that putting your money into super can produce the better outcome.

One caveat – if you think you might need to access that money before retiring don’t put it into super. One option is to pay down the mortgage and redraw should you need to.

Let the government contribute

Low-income earners can pick up an easy, government-sponsored, up to 50% return on their investment just by making an after-tax contribution to their super fund. Not surprisingly, there are limits[2], but if you can contribute $1,000 of your own money to super you could receive up to $500 as a co-contribution.

Another strategy that may help some couples is contribution splitting. This is where a portion of one partner’s superannuation contributions are rolled over to the partner on a lower income.

Protect what you can’t afford to lose

With debts and dependants, adequate life insurance cover is crucial. Holding cover through superannuation may provide benefits such as lower premiums, a tax deduction to the super fund and reduced strain on cash flow. Make sure the sum insured is sufficient for your needs as default cover amounts are usually well short of what’s required.

Also look at insurance options outside super. They may provide you with greater flexibility and other benefits, which might be better value in the long run.

Finally, review your superannuation death benefit nominations to ensure they remain relevant. You can make binding nominations that may see your dependants receive their benefit more quickly than waiting for probate to take its course.

Seek professional advice

The forties is an important decade for wealth creation with many things to consider, so ask us, a licensed financial adviser, to help you make sure the next 20 years are the best for you and your super.

 

*The information contained in this article is general information only. It is not intended to be a recommendation, offer, advice or invitation to purchase, sell or otherwise deal in securities or other investments. Before making any decision in respect to a financial product, you should seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional. 
We believe that the information contained in this document is accurate. However, we are not specifically licensed to provide tax or legal advice and any information that may relate to you should be confirmed with your tax or legal adviser.