Breaking barriers: a guide to rising above financial hurdles

International Women’s Day is an opportunity for empowerment, choice and gratitude to the women whose dedication has accelerated that for all of us.

Women typically earn less life-time income than men. So, making smart choices in the superannuation system can be very empowering. Those choices really boil down to three key things. 

I remember them with the acronym CRI, or ‘Comfortable Retirement Income’. To improve your chances of a CRI, think about:

• C: Your Contributions  

  Additional contributions, particularly early in your working life, can really supercharge your balance. Contribute what you can—even as little as the cost of one coffee a week. The power of compound interest means that extra contribution is making money while you sleep.

• R: Your Real life

  Whether or not you are in the fortunate position to be able to choose your retirement date, it’s important that you:

  • know how long you intend to work;
  • understand your entire financial situation;
  • think about your retirement goals; and
  • seek the advice of a qualified Financial Planner, if you’re able to.

• I: Your Investment option

  Make choice, not chance, the determiner of your financial destiny. Choose the investment option most suited to your stage of life and risk appetite, and commit to revisiting that choice as your life moves forward and your circumstances change.

For a CRI, make super your personal alchemist. Maximise your retirement earning power by putting any income you can spare into your super. This will convert your savings into quality assets that generate their own income, and attract compound interest so that your money makes money.

Alison presented at the CSC Member Education Seminar, ‘Breaking barriers: a guide to rising above financial hurdles’, on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2023.

You can watch the full seminar below.