Financial advice for retirees
The retirement you’ve earned. Designed to last.
For Australians who have already stopped work and want a calmer, smarter way to make their account-based pension and savings go the distance. Find out whether your plan will hold for the next 30 years, with no sales pitch and no obligation.
The job has changed
You’ve done the hard part. Now the job is spending without fear, growing what you have without a salary, and making sure the money lasts as long as you both do.
Sound familiar?
The worries most retirees carry quietly.
If two or three of these have crossed your mind in the last year, you’re not alone. You don’t have to manage them by yourself.
Will it last?
Will my money last as long as I do? And what if I live to 95?
What if markets fall early?
If markets drop in the first few years, will we have to cut back for good?
Too much, or too little?
Am I drawing too much, or being so careful I’m missing the life I worked for?
If I go first
Will my partner be okay financially? Do they actually understand our affairs?
Aged care and the home
What would care cost, and what happens to the family home if one of us needs it?
Tax without a salary
Is our income still structured tax-efficiently now we’re not earning? Is anyone actually checking?
What we help self-funded retirees with
Six things that decide whether a retirement lasts.
Sustainable income
How much you can draw each year without eroding the capital your partner will need. We model income across a range of market scenarios with a realistic longevity assumption, usually to age 95.
Sequence risk
A market fall in the first years of drawdown does far more damage than one later on. Cash reserves, bucketing and sensible withdrawal rules help stop a bad year becoming a permanent cut.
Tax in retirement
Pension structures, unnecessary capital gains events and which entity owns what. We review the whole structure and look for legitimate ways to keep more of your income.
If one of you goes first
A plan that only works while both partners are alive isn’t a plan. We coordinate with your solicitor and accountant on wills, super death benefit nominations and contingencies.
Aged care and longevity
What care would cost, what happens to the home and how means testing applies. Mapped years ahead, when there’s time to think, not in a crisis.
Investment advice
Evidence-based, low-cost portfolios with a level of risk you understand and have agreed to, designed to protect and grow your retirement capital.
Why retirees work with us
Five reasons that keep coming up.
Experience across cycles. Andre has guided clients through the GFC, the 2020 pandemic shock and the 2022 inflation reset. None were the end of the world. They were the end of plans that hadn’t been built to handle them.
Fee for service. We charge a transparent fee for advice and don’t take commissions on investment products. We don’t earn more by recommending one investment over another.
No products of our own. We don’t manufacture investment products and have no shelf space to fill.
Holistic, not just investments. Tax structure, estate, aged care, insurance and family communication matter as much as the portfolio, and more so later in retirement.
Principal-led. You work with Andre and a team who know your circumstances. You don’t get handed to a junior or repeat your story every meeting.
How it works
Three steps to a plan you can rely on.
Discovery
A conversation about your retirement, your worries, what you want the next 25 years to look like and how things are set up today. Complimentary, no obligation.
Strategy
We map the full picture, model income, longevity and markets, and identify the changes that matter most. You receive a written strategy and a clear fixed quote for any ongoing relationship.
Implementation and review
We put the changes in place with you, your accountant and your solicitor, then review the plan formally each year and whenever markets, legislation or your circumstances change.
The retirement review
What you walk away with.
Before you change your portfolio, your structure or who you work with, start with a confidential conversation. You leave with a clear view on three things.
- Whether your current plan is likely to deliver the income and certainty you need for the next 25 to 30 years, across a realistic range of market conditions, not just the optimistic ones.
- Where the biggest risks sit in your current setup. They’re often not where retirees expect.
- Whether tax, structure or drawdown changes could let you spend with more confidence, leave more behind, or both.
Many people tell us the conversation was worth having even if they go no further. We’ve designed it that way.
Already a client?
Time for your review?
Your plan was built for the circumstances at the time. Markets move, rules change and so do families. If it’s been a while, or something has changed, book your review and we’ll make sure everything is still doing its job.
Good reasons to book now
- A change in health, or one of you needing more support
- Selling the home, downsizing or helping the kids
- A large market move, or a change in super or tax rules
- Your annual review is due
See how retirees we work with help the next generation without putting their own retirement at risk. Read our client stories →
Questions we’re asked
Retired now: the common questions.
I already have an adviser. Can I still talk to you?
Yes. Plenty of people come to us for a second opinion. The conversation is confidential, and we’ll tell you honestly if we think your current setup is working.
How much can we safely spend each year?
It depends on your assets, your spending, your age, your Centrelink position and how your money is invested. We model it across a range of market outcomes so you can see a realistic range rather than a single guess.
What happens to our plan if one of us dies?
This is one of the most overlooked parts of retirement planning. We check how super death benefits, wills, ownership of assets and pensions would work for the surviving partner, and work with your solicitor where changes are needed. More on estate planning.
Should we plan for aged care now?
Earlier is better. Understanding the likely costs and how the family home is treated gives you options and avoids rushed decisions later. See aged care advice.
How are you paid?
We’re fee for service. We agree a fee with you up front and don’t take commissions on investment products we recommend. See how our fees work.
Is the first conversation really free?
Yes. No cost and no obligation. If you’d like us to go further, we’ll quote a fixed fee in writing first.
WE. Insights
More on retirement.
Your next step
Enjoy the retirement you planned for.
A confidential conversation gives you a clear answer on whether your current plan is on track. No sales pitch, no obligation. Existing clients can book their review directly.
General advice only. This page does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, so consider whether it is appropriate for you and read our Financial Services Guide before acting. Wealth Effect Group (CAR 424768) and Andre Dirckze (AR 395157) are Authorised Representatives of Boston Reed Pty Ltd, ABN 89 091 004 885, AFSL 225738. Accounting and tax services are provided by our referral partner Altiora Advisory, not by Wealth Effect Group; we may receive a referral fee. See our important information.