The articles
Every issue of the newsletter, filed by topic. Somebody here reads ATO fine print for fun. These are the five-minute versions, with the receipts attached and nothing for sale.
Superannuation
Project your balance →The money you can't touch for decades, and the rules that quietly decide how big it gets.
Your super just got a pay rise. Most people won't notice it.
The super guarantee hit 12% in July 2025. What the final half a percent is worth at retirement, the “total package” contract trap, and three cheap moves that beat the increase.
SuperannuationCarry forward concessional contributions: the catch-up the ATO actually allows
Unused cap from the last five years can roll forward, and the 2020-21 slice expires on 30 June 2026. Who qualifies, how to check your number in myGov, and the maths on using it.
SuperannuationDownsizer contributions: the $300,000 side door into super
Sell the family home, top up your super past the usual caps. The conditions attached, the 90-day window, and the Centrelink catch nobody mentions at the auction.
Investment
Run the compounding →Shares, dividends and the tax quirks Australia bolted on. No hot tips, ever.
Franking credits: the tax refund hiding in your share portfolio
How dividend imputation works with real numbers, why pension-phase retirees get cash refunds, and the yield trap that catches investors chasing credits.
InvestmentETF investing in Australia: the three decisions that actually matter
Broad index, low fee, keep buying. A starter guide for people who'd rather be doing anything else, with the fees printed in large type.
Insurance
Size your cover →The cover you're probably already paying for, and whether it would actually pay you.
The life insurance you didn't know you were paying for
Default life and TPD cover inside super: what it costs your balance, where the cover falls short for families, and the TPD definition that decides whether claims get paid.
InsuranceIncome protection vs TPD: they only look the same until you claim
One pays monthly while you recover, one pays a lump sum if you never work again. The claim acceptance rates by channel, and the definition trap inside super.
Retirement
Test your drawdown →How much is enough, and how to make it last. Less guesswork, more arithmetic.
How much do you actually need to retire in Australia?
The ASFA standards, why the Age Pension makes the $1 million myth wrong for most people, and three questions that produce your real number.
RetirementTransition to retirement: clever strategy or paperwork for nothing?
Drawing a super pension while you're still on the payroll. Who actually saves tax from 60, who gets nothing, and a worked example with both payslips.
Centrelink
Estimate your pension →The Age Pension has two tests and a mountain of fine print. We sat the tests for you.
The Age Pension assets test, explained without the headache
What counts as an asset, where the free areas sit, how the $3 taper rate works, and the legal strategies retirees use to improve their position.
CentrelinkDeeming rates: the income Centrelink decides you earned
Centrelink doesn't ask what your savings actually earned. It decides for you, and the rates jumped twice since the freeze ended. The formula, with worked numbers.