How it works

  1. Enter your basic information to see your super Income or super Balance in retirement.

    Income combines your income from super with any full or part Age Pension and income from other sources that you input.

    Balance shows how long your super balance might last in retirement.
  1. Change your investment options, contributions, retirement age and target income using the interactive sliders. Small changes can make a difference!

    You can also factor in part-time work, transition to retirement and eligibility for Age Pension.

The Retirement Modeller is designed to give you an example of what your super might look like in retirement. It doesn’t account for your individual needs, circumstances and financial objectives.

Before you make any financial decisions, consider tailored financial advice from an authorised Financial Planner. Do not rely solely on your Retirement Modeller projection.

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Disclaimer and assumptions

$000,000 Income in retirement
$000,000 Projected balance at retirement
00 Run out age

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$000,000 Income in retirement
$000,000 Projected balance at retirement
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We have imposed minimum super pension payments. Your total income will exceed your target income in some years.
The after-tax contributions you've entered would result in you exceeding your after-tax contributions cap. The calculator has capped contribution amounts keep you within these limits.

Contributions

Tell us about any additional contributions you make. The sliders are limited by your maximum available contribution.

Investment mix

See how your investment choice can affect your retirement income.

Part-time work

Are you planning to work part-time?

Age Pension

Estimated Age Pension payments are automatically included in your retirement income projection. Providing additional information will improve the accuracy of the estimate.

Partner

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Your partner's details

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Additional contributions

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Retirement income

You may need to update your partner details on the partner tab.
We have excluded your partner from this projection.
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Select your preferred option

Profile Details

    Super balance ranges:

    Other financial assets:

    Disclaimer and assumptions

    Talk to an authorised Financial Planner

    Book an appointment with one of our authorised Financial Planners. To get started, call 1300 277 777.

    Explore our Retirement guides and workbook

    Learn about your retirement goals and the key tasks for your age and life stage.

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    Got questions?

    Visit csc.gov.au or call 1300 725 171.

    Create your retirement profile

    Superannuation calculator assumptions

    Disclaimer

    The Retirement Modeller is provided by Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC) ABN: 48 882 817 243 AFSL: 238069. RSEL: L0001397.

    The Retirement Modeller projects how long your superannuation might last in retirement, based on the information that you provide and the stated assumptions. Changes to any of the assumptions, or the information that you provide, may have a significant effect on your projected outcomes. The results generated by the Retirement Modeller are estimates only and are not guaranteed. Your actual retirement income and superannuation balance in retirement, and the duration for which your superannuation will actually last in retirement, will depend on a range of factors, including your personal circumstances and external factors. You should consider regularly updating the projections provided by Retirement Modeller as those factors may change.

    The Retirement Modeller is not intended to be relied on for the purposes of making a decision in relation to a financial product or your finances. In making any decisions about your superannuation or your retirement you should consider your own objectives, financial situation and needs, and you should not rely solely on the Retirement Modeller. You should consider getting advice from a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions.

    Assumptions

    The projections calculated by Retirement Modeller are based on the assumptions described below.

    The default assumptions are current for the 2023-24 financial year and are based on relevant legislation (including tax and superannuation legislation) applicable for that financial year. You can change certain assumptions that are applied by the Retirement Modeller on the ‘Edit assumptions’ tab.

    The Retirement Modeller projects how long your superannuation might last for accumulation products only. It will not make projections for defined benefit funds.

    Today’s dollars

    The income and superannuation balance amounts at retirement that are projected by Retirement Modeller are shown in today’s dollars, which means that they are adjusted for inflation.

    The projection allows for future wage inflation of 4.0% pa and future price inflation of 2.5% pa.

    Results are expressed in today's dollars by discounting with wage inflation in the accumulation phase and price inflation in the pension phase.

    Target income is also assumed to increase at this rate.

    These assumed inflation rates and the approach to discounting are consistent with ASIC Corporations (Superannuation Calculators and Retirement Estimates) Instrument 2022/603.

    The rate of inflation that is assumed for this purpose can be changed on the ‘Edit assumptions’ tab.

    Personal income

    The user's salary is assumed to increase in line with wage inflation. For this purpose, a wage inflation rate of 4.0% pa has been assumed by default. This rate can be changed on the 'Edit assumptions' tab.

    The default assumed rate of wage inflation is set at 1.5% pa above the assumed price inflation rate of 2.5% pa. This is adopted from the default inflation rate set out in ASIC's regulatory guide for superannuation calculators. This is also consistent with the average historic difference between wage and price inflation in Australia over the last 35 years as measured by increases in Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings and the Consumer Price Index respectively.

    In any future periods where the user has a period of part-time employment, their salary is reduced pro-rata.

    Tax calculations allow for personal income tax rates, the Medicare levy, the low income tax offset, the debt levy and the senior Australian tax offset. Threshold and offset amounts in the first year are based on current rates. Thereafter they are indexed in line with wage inflation.

    Employer contributions

    The default rate that is assumed for the purpose of calculating superannuation contributions is 15.4%. Under the current PSSap rules, this is the percentage of a member’s superannuation salary that a member’s APS employer must contribute, subject to superannuation law. Superannuation guarantee contributions are assumed to be 11% increasing to 12% by 2025/26 in accordance with the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992.

    Superannuation guarantee contributions are subject to the maximum superannuation contribution base, which is currently $62,270 per quarter. This threshold is indexed annually in line with wage inflation.

    Member contributions

    Regular concessional or non-concessional contributions entered by the user are assumed to increase each year in line with the user's salary. In any periods of part-time work, the user's contributions are assumed to decrease pro-rata.

    The amount of a one-off non-concessional contribution entered by the user is assumed to be fixed, and is not indexed.

    Where a concessional or non-concessional contribution exceeds the corresponding legislated contribution thresholds, the contributions are taxed accordingly. Concessional contributions are taxed at 15% in the superannuation environment. Concessional contributions in excess of the contribution threshold are subject to additional tax. This is levied in the income tax environment, and so has no impact on the estimates in this calculator; however it would increase the amount of income tax you would have to pay.

    The concessional and non-concessional contribution thresholds are indexed in line with the assumed rate of wage inflation.

    Contributions are assumed to be spread evenly across the year.

    Co-contribution

    In each projection year, the user's eligibility for a Government co-contribution is assessed based on their salary, total superannuation balance and non-concessional contributions. A co-contribution is made to the superannuation account if applicable.

    The co-contribution thresholds and maximum amount are indexed in line with wage inflation.

    Investment returns

    The Retirement Modeller assumes the following default investment returns (after fees and tax) for each investment strategy:

    Investment option

    Assumed investment return per annum (after fees and tax)

    Cash

    2.72%

    Conservative

    4.0%

    Balanced

    6.0%

    High Growth

    6.5%

    These default investment returns (except for Cash) have been determined by adding the investment objective for each corresponding investment option in the PSSap (Income Focused, MySuper Balanced and Aggressive) to CPI, which we have assumed to be 2.5% pa.

    For Cash, investment return is expected to be close to that of the Bloomberg Ausbond bank bill index by investing 100% in Cash assets. The default assumed investment return for Cash is based on long term expectation of short term interest rates and is higher than current bank bill rates.

    The assumed investment returns for each investment option can be changed on the ‘Edit assumptions’ tab.

    The default investment returns assumed by the Retirement Modeller are illustrative only and should not be taken to provide an estimate of the amount of investment returns you may receive.

    Investment returns in the accumulation account are assumed to be taxed at the relevant rate (based on the percentage of funds invested in shares, and allowing for dividend imputation and the capital gains tax concession). Investment returns in the pension account are assumed to be tax-free.

    Investment earnings are assumed to be credited continuously to the fund.

    Fees

    The following default investment fees and costs and transaction costs are assumed for each investment option:

    Investment option

    Investment fees and costs (% per annum of average net assets)

    Transaction costs

    Cash

    0.07%

    0.00%

    Conservative

    0.49%

    0.12%

    Balanced

    0.76%

    0.11%

    High Growth

    0.78%

    0.12%


    The investment fees and costs and transaction costs for an investment option are the ratio of the total costs for that investment option to the total average net assets attributed to that investment option.

    The investment returns in the previous table represent returns after the deduction of these fees.

    It is assumed that members pay a default annual administration fee and costs of:

    • A flat fee of $48 per year, plus
    • 0.05% of the account balance per year.

    The total annual administration fees and costs are capped at $300 per year.

    • A default insurance fee of $18 per annum. Insurance Premiums are not included.

    Fees are assumed to remain constant in percentage terms over the projection period.

    The default investment fees and costs, transaction costs, administration fees and costs and insurance fee, assumed by the Retirement Modeller reflect the corresponding fees charged in PSSap. Annual administration fees and costs, insurance fees, percentage administration fees and costs and contribution fees can be changed on the ‘Edit assumptions tab’.

    Retirement age

    If you enter a current age less than 67, the default retirement age is 67. If you enter a current age of 67 or older, the default retirement age is your age at your next birthday.

    This approach is consistent with ASIC Corporations (Superannuation Calculators and Retirement Estimates) Instrument 2022/603.

    Life expectancy

    Life expectancies allow for future mortality improvements. They were derived based on the median mortality rate assumptions in the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 'Population Projections 2006-2011'.

    Tax based assumptions

    This calculator is based on 2023/24 tax rates and contribution caps and assumes that you have provided your Tax File Number to the superannuation fund.

    The current concessional cap is $27,500 p.a.

    Employer and salary sacrifice contributions are subject to contributions tax at 15%. Note individuals with income up to or below $37,000 will automatically receive the low income superannuation tax offset which will refund all contributions tax up to a maximum of $500. Individuals with incomes greater than $250,000 will pay contributions tax on concessional contributions at a rate of 30% rather than 15%.

    Contributions above the non-concessional cap are taxed at the highest marginal tax rate.

    Income tax payable on the retirement pension has also been ignored. However, depending on your circumstances, a portion of your retirement income may need to be included as assessable income and may be taxed at your marginal tax rate. If this were the case, your after tax retirement income may be less than that shown by the calculator.

    This calculator assumes no other taxes on contributions.

    Note that you should also consider the tax if you exceed your concessional contribution cap. If you exceed your concessional cap you will be taxed an additional amount, as detailed above on your excess contributions and these contributions will also count towards your non-concessional cap.

    Government age pension

    Current age pension thresholds and rates of payment are allowed for, based on the marital status and the home owner status of the user. If 'Partner' is selected, the partner's superannuation assets can be entered and all other income and assets are assumed to be combined between the user and their partner. The age pension thresholds are indexed in line with CPI and rates of payment are indexed in line with wage inflation. The assumed rate of CPI is 2.5% p.a. and the assumed rate of wage inflation is 4.0% p.a. These rates can be changed on the 'Edit assumptions' tab.

    The age pension is subject to an asset test and an income test.

    The asset test is based on the accrued balance of superannuation assets and other assets.

    The age pension income test is based on deemed, rather than actual, income on superannuation and other assets.

    Drawings

    The drawings from superannuation in retirement are calculated as: required income less other income (as entered by the user) less any age pension amounts (as calculated by the program).

    Minimum drawings

    There are statutory minimum superannuation drawings in retirement (once funds have been converted to the pension phase).

    These statutory requirements require you to withdraw a minimum amount of superannuation each year. This minimum amount is calculated based on your account balance and a percentage factor, which varies by age. The calculator allows for these minimum withdrawal requirements.

    Retirement income

    Modelling a retirement strategy allows the user to select from 8 Profiles that are based on CSC’s Retirement Profiles. The target income in retirement is disabled when using this feature.

    Each profile has a default investment strategy and models a drawdown strategy that is based on a percentage of the account balance each year. Some profiles include an Immediate lifetime annuity. Immediate lifetime annuity rates are based on rates available as at 3 June 2024.

    Available rates are limited to the retirement age of the user between age 60 and 74. The annuity is indexed to CPI. Where a partner is included, the Immediate lifetime annuity assumes a reversionary benefit is included and rates are limited to the partner being aged within 10 years of the primary user. The rates used are to provide an indicative estimate of what including an annuity in retirement may look like and are not a quote.

    The default assumptions for each profile are aligned to the CSC Retirement Profiles.

    Users can model their own retirement strategy and edit all assumptions that make up the default profiles.

    Last updated: June 2024

    Edit assumptions

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    The wage inflation slider represents changes to the Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) rather than your personal salary expectations.

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    Edit user defined investment option

    Disclaimer and assumptions

    CSC/5.3.6r35
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