Downsizing your home is an exciting opportunity, whether it's prompted by retirement or your kids leaving home. It offers a chance to reduce your living costs, minimize home maintenance, and free up your lifestyle. However, there are common pitfalls—like unexpected strata fees, restrictions on pets, and even scams in the retirement village sector—that can turn this process into a stressful experience. Here's how you can avoid these pitfalls and how a buyer’s agent can help ensure your downsizing is smooth and less risky.
Reversionary pensions have long been a staple of SMSF estate planning, but are they still the best option? Meg Heffron revisits a once-clear favourite and asks whether changing super rules have shifted the balance.
Rising age dependency is frequently treated as a warning sign for economies. But when actual workforce participation is examined, a strikingly different picture emerges about ageing, productivity and economic sustainability.