26-44: Too busy planning for today like there's no tomorrow?
Too busy to give your super the time of day? There's family, friends, work, the mortgage, and probably little spare time or cash. In the rush, it's easy to lose sight of your super – but with just a little attention, it could be one of your most valuable assets in the future… and your key to relaxing and enjoying life after work.
Make sure your super keeps pace with you
- Start out by looking at Joining
- Check your member statement carefully every year to make sure your super is on track to meet your retirement needs.
- Get online with your super fund – most funds offer a range of online information services that can save you time.
- Compare the cost of additional services your super fund may offer, such as Additional Death and Disability Cover and access to home loans, banking services and financial planners – you may save yourself some extra money.
- Make sure you know what options your super fund offers, and if there are any restrictions or conditions on those options – this is particularly important when events (planned and unplanned) occur, such a s job change, promotion, parental leave, retrenchment, financial windfall, etc...
Check your insurance
We recommend you check your insurance arrangements at least once a year. A good time to do this is when you receive your annual member statement.
However, circumstances in your life may change at any time, and your insurance may be affected or you may need to review your arrangements to ensure they are still appropriate for you. Here are some examples of circumstance changes which may affect your insurance:
- a change from permanent to casual, or casual to permanent work
- overseas posting
- salary increase or decrease
- leave without pay
- marriage
- divorce
- birth of a child.
Useful sources of information
Your money– a guide getting more from your money, making smarter decisions and avoiding expensive mistakes, including topics from budgeting, managing loans and mortgages, and insurance, to getting the most from super, and starting to invest, by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Understanding money— Australian Government website helping you to understand how money pays off.
Money and rights – consumer-friendly information about saving and investing, including a DIY super quiz, investment risk quiz and a Super Choice survival guide, produced by the Australian Consumers Association.
Consumers & Money – a quick guide to consumer protection laws, e-commerce, insurance, fees and charges, credit cards, superannuation and scams produced by the by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Super choices – a guide to super, making better super choices and where to find extra help and information produced by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Smarter super – a guide to how super works, and useful tips and suggestions produced jointly by the Australian Bankers' Association, the Financial Planning Association and Investment and Financial Services Association.
Super guru – a comprehensive guide to super including information on planning and saving now + the Westpac-ASFA Retirement Living Standard which shows how much you may need in retirement, produced by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Limited.
Getting advice – a step-by-step guide to choosing the right financial adviser, published by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in association with the Financial Planning Association of Australia.
The learner investor site – an online guide to the world of investing published by the Eureka Report which aims to inform, advise, guide and educate investors.
Department of Finance and Administration Superannuation branch– this branch supports the Minister for Finance and Administration, with his responsibilities for superannuation for Australian Government employees and Commonwealth parliamentarians.
