If you are born in or after 1966, you are a candidate for the new pension eligibility requirement that will take effect in 2035. By that time, you need to be 70 years old and above in order to be eligible for age pension.
If you don’t have access to additional source of income, that means you need to be working until 70 in order to afford daily expenses. Although the new rule is ridiculous, tightening pension entitlement is needed in order to have a sustainable budget in the future, according to officials.
If you are having a hard time securing a regular employment at 45, how much more when you turn 50 or 60? Let’s be realistic that when it comes to Australian workforce, you get less desirable as you age. Older workers find it hard to impress employers. Also, learning a new skill and changing careers in middle age is often challenging.
Surviving in the workforce until 60 is hard enough to say the least, and now the government wants us to work until 70?
Is there an alternative?
You can always stack up on savings or super, but there’s still no guarantee that it will be enough to afford an early retirement. People usually rely on pension entitlements for their retirement and any additional income will be put on small luxuries or lifestyle upgrade that they definitely deserve after long years of working.
Now, when all else fails, a reverse mortgage is a great way to fund retirement especially if you are a cash-poor but asset-rich retiree. You can access the equity in your home and you won’t even have to pay the loan until you move out, sell the property, or die.
The rising cost of living and strict pension eligibility requirements are expected to give a boost for equity release sector in the months to come. Early this year, a cutback in both pension and part pension entitlements has affected more than 300,000 older Australians. It is certainly a difficult time for most seniors in the country, but with proper financial planning and access to right financial products, we can make things better for everyone.