For many people across regional Victoria, retirement can feel more uncertain than ever. Markets move fast, interest rates change, property values move in cycles, and the cost of living is noticeably higher than it was just a few years ago. It’s completely normal to question whether you’re actually on track — or if you might need to adjust.
The good news is there’s practical checkpoints that give you clear visibility and confidence — without having to guess.
Here are six ways to measure whether you’re heading toward a comfortable retirement:
1. Know Your Target Income
Instead of focusing on a lump sum number, start with the income you’d want to live on each year. ASFA suggests around $75,000 p/a for couples and $53,000 p/a for singles as a guide for a “comfortable” lifestyle — but many of my regional clients are living well below that and living well, thanks to lower housing, transport and lifestyle costs.
Your target is personal. But you need a number.
This can be difficult to quantify because you’ve never actually lived a retired lifestyle before. You’ll have an extra 40+ hours each week to spend differently — whether that’s travel, hobbies, family time or personal projects — and each version of that lifestyle comes with a different cost attached.
The positive is your retirement income is not fixed or rigid. It can be reviewed and adjusted over time. We often meet with clients 6–12 months after they retire to reassess their spending patterns and make sure their income strategy still aligns with how they’re actually living
2. Understand What Your Super is Actually Invested In
Most people couldn’t answer this. Your investment mix drives long-term returns. The wrong option could be costing you tens of thousands without you realising it.
Do you know how much of your super is invested in shares, property, infrastructure, or how much is allocated to more conservative assets such as term deposits or government bonds? The mix between these asset classes is critical — it drives long-term growth and ensures the level of volatility remains within your comfort and risk tolerance.
Making reactive, emotional changes based solely on short-term market movements is often one of the most damaging mistakes investors make. A well-constructed investment mix helps remove the temptation for “knee-jerk” decisions and keeps your strategy aligned with your long-term goals.
Make sure your risk profile matches your time horizon and comfort level — not what your fund defaulted you into.
3. Check If You’re Making the Most of Contributions
Given the pace at which superannuation legislation and contribution rules continue to change, it is important to review your position regularly to ensure you remain up to date and able to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.
Strategies such as salary sacrifice, catch-up concessional contributions, Government co-contribution and the spouse contribution offset can materially accelerate retirement savings — particularly in the final 10–15 working years. This period is often where we are able to generate the greatest strategic “late game” momentum for clients through proactive contribution planning and keeping ahead of regulatory change.
4. Review Debt & Cash Flow Strategy Outside Super
Retirement planning also includes simplifying your overall financial position — not just building superannuation. Many pre-retirees choose to reduce complexity as they approach retirement, as the administrative burden and ongoing management of assets (for example, owning an investment property, dealing with tenants, maintenance, unexpected costs etc.) may no longer be desirable. If you still have personal debt, investment loans or business finance to tidy up, planning this well before retirement is critical. The more cash flow you can free up, the more opportunity we have to direct funds into wealth creation strategies that support your retirement goals.
5. Protect Your Plan Against Risk
Insurance, estate planning, wills, reversionary pensions, beneficiaries, POAs — these are the boring parts that protect everything you’ve built. One unexpected setback can undo 20 years of compounding.
6. Stress Test the Plan
Retirement planning shouldn’t be built on “average return expectations”.
We test your retirement plan against volatility, downturns, inflation scenarios… because the real world is not a smooth line. Understanding how resilient your plan is — gives confidence today.
Final Thoughts
Retirement confidence isn’t about luck or hoping markets will do the heavy lifting.
It’s about clarity, structure, and being proactive early enough to influence the outcome.
Most people don’t need radical changes — they just need refined adjustments, smart strategy and informed decisions around timing, contributions and allocation.
If you’d like help running a projection and testing whether you’re on track — reach out.
We’ll run the numbers, stress test the plan, and show you what levers can make the biggest difference for you.
Contact us to arrange your obligation free first appointment.