Retirement planning
Can you retire on your super?
Pick your retirement age and super balance to see Age Pension eligibility, how long your money lasts, and what your spending can sustain.
Retiring at 60 or 62
Retiring at 60 or 62 is the goal for most Australians who want to stop full-time work while they're still healthy enough to enjoy it. It's also when superannuation first becomes accessible for most people. The key question: does your balance cover the five to seven years before Age Pension age — and how much is left at 67 to determine your Centrelink entitlement?
Retire at 60
Retiring at 65 or 67
Retiring at 65 or 67 puts you at or near Age Pension eligibility. Your super doesn't need to bridge as long a gap, but your balance at 67 still determines whether you receive a full pension, a part pension, or nothing — a difference of up to $29,000 a year for a single person. Even a small entitlement also unlocks the Pensioner Concession Card and cheaper healthcare.
Early retirement at 55 or 58
Retiring before 60 requires significantly more super. You'll need to fund nine to twelve years of living expenses entirely from your own savings before the Age Pension becomes available. That's a long runway — and the balance you carry into 67 shapes your Centrelink payments for the rest of your life.
Renting?
Non-homeowners have a higher assets test threshold — Centrelink effectively excludes the value of a home from your assessable assets, so renters can hold more in super and still qualify for pension support. You may get more than you expect.
Planning as a couple?
Couple pension thresholds are higher than for singles — a couple can hold more in super and still qualify for part pension support. These scenarios model a homeowner couple with $65K combined annual spending.
Your numbers are different.
These scenarios use fixed assumptions. The full tool models your actual salary, super balance, spending target, and relationship status — year by year.
Model my own retirementFree. No sign-up. Takes about 2 minutes.