Are you making voluntary contributions to your superannuation? When it comes to retirement, every little bit helps.
According to an Equip Super survey of more than 2,000 Australians, 46% have made voluntary contributions to boost their super savings – and of these, 65% made their first voluntary contribution before they turned 40.
The earlier you make a voluntary contribution, the more you’ll benefit from the compound interest it provides, which will continue to grow your savings over the course of your career.
Not only that, if you make contributions directly from your wages before tax – known as salary sacrificing – you’ll only be taxed on those at 15%.
62-year-old Queensland-based laboratory technician Claudette Younger says that, with the help of a financial planner, she and her husband have been able to set themselves up for retirement in the next few years and finally pay off their home loan.
“We’ve both been on relatively good salaries for many years, and I’ve been making salary sacrifices to my super for most of my career. My employer offered that option when I started the job, which I think more workplaces ought to do. But, like many people, my husband has never made contributions on top of his employer’s,” said Claudette.
“My husband now has a plan in place to make voluntary contributions to his super in a way that is beneficial taxwise. We both feel so much more in control and excited about retirement now.”
For more information on salary sacrifice and other voluntary super contributions, visit the Australian Tax Office website.