Ease into retirement
Ease into retirement
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Ease into retirement and enjoy the things you love
When planning your retirement you may be considering how you spend your time. You may look to discover a new hobby, rediscover an old one, or find something else you really enjoy. Whatever it is, as you near retirement, you can live your best life by working less and having more time to focus on the things you really love. After all, you’ve worked hard to get here. If you have reached age 60, you may decide you want to reduce your working hours and access some of your super to supplement your take-home pay. This can be done under a Transition to Retirement (TTR) arrangement.
Utilising income stream for your TTR
- Save on tax - If you’re over the age of 60, all your investment earnings (and payments) are tax free.
- Create an account for your spouse (subject to eligibility) – so your spouse can also receive the benefits of an income stream.
An Income Stream could give you greater control of your finances, manage cash flow and plan further ahead.
If you would like to learn more about how the Super SA Income Stream or TTR can help you to enjoy life as you ease into retirement, click here.
We understand that planning for retirement can be complex.
Financial advice is strongly recommended when considering a TTR arrangement to ensure that it is effective for your individual circumstances. It’s important you are aware that your super may have an effect on the level of benefit you’re entitled to receive from Centrelink in retirement.
For personalised one-on-one advice about your superannuation, speak to a licensed financial planner.
Frequently asked questions
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How does a TTR arrangement work?
A TTR arrangement provides regular income.1
Broadly, once you've transferred the nominated portion of your super into a TTR arrangement, you can draw regular income payments from it. The amount you are allowed to draw is subject to a Government limit, and you cannot “cash out” the balance until you retire from employment or you reach age 65.2
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Tax benefits
If you are age 60 or over, your income payments are tax free.
If you are under age 60, tax will automatically be deducted from your regular income payments, in the same way as tax is deducted from your salary as an employee.
Note that on rolling over to the Income Stream, 15% tax will be deducted from the untaxed component of your rollover from Triple S or the Lump Sum Scheme.2
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Growing your money for retirement
- Although there are benefits to using a TTR arrangement to help you phase into retirement, drawing income payments also reduces your retirement savings. There is no guaranteed payment period with an income stream, so you can receive payments until your account balance reduces to zero.1
- While you continue to work, your employer will pay Superannuation contributions to your super, helping it to grow. You can also choose to make contributions to keep building your retirement savings, for example by having some of your salary paid directly to super via salary sacrifice.
And of course, the balance of your super and Income Stream accounts continue to earn investment returns. The investment earnings in your TTR Income Stream account are taxed at up to 15%. The actual rate of tax may be reduced below 15% because of various tax credits and rebates. However once you retire or reach the age of 65, the investment returns in your Income Stream account will be tax free.
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How can you start a TTR with Super SA?
The Super SA Income Stream is only available to Super SA members and their spouses.
The TTR facility of the Income Stream allows you to draw a regular income to add to your take-home pay as you phase into retirement1.
With the Income Stream account, you can also continue to invest your money in a tax-effective super environment, choosing from the several investment options available. It offers competitive administration fees and the flexibility to open an account using super from within Super SA or from another fund. However, you must first combine your accounts before commencing an Income Stream.
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Learn more about retirement planning
Are you thinking about retirement? Whether the big day’s five years or one year away, it’s time to take action to get yourself on the right track for a well-planned, comfortable future.
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2 For more information, refer to the relevant PDS.