Articles by
Barbara Drury
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ETFs: How to use them and what they cost
Exchange-traded funds have made building a well-diversified investment portfolio easier and more cost effective than ever, as growing numbers of SMSF investors are discovering.
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How our super and pension fund rankings work
Have you ever looked at your super fund’s investment returns and wondered how your fund compares with similar funds? Is it a consistently high performer or an inveterate underachiever?
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Retirement planning is about more than money
A healthy super balance helps, but living life to the full in retirement also requires a sense of purpose and meaning.
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Which super funds offer income for life?
If you’re worried about running out of super, a lifetime pension may offer not only income for life but more Age Pension to boot.
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Choosing an SMSF service provider
Most SMSFs will need to outsource some of their financial, legal and administrative tasks to professionals, so it’s important to know what to look for and what to avoid.
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SMSFs structures: Corporate or individual trustee?
Individual or corporate trustee. Which structure is more appropriate for you and do you know the advantages and disadvantages of each?
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Pension fund performance to December 2025
Retirees had much to smile about in 2025, when pension fund returns grew strongly even after withdrawing minimum pension payments.
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Super fund performance: Annual returns to December 2025
Super funds hit the trifecta in 2025, with strongly positive returns for the third year running, despite rising geopolitical tensions and volatile investment markets.
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The taper trap: Super and the Age Pension assets test
A quirk of our retirement income system can leave retirees with middling a super balance worse off than a full Age Pensioner. But there are ways to increase Pension entitlements
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2025 year in review, 2026 year ahead
It was a year when hope triumphed over uncertainty on financial markets, with all major asset classes – and super funds – delivering positive returns.
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How inflation affects your retirement income
Of all the risks surrounding your retirement income, from market volatility to overspending, inflation can fly under the radar.
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Retirement planning for couples
Super can’t be held in joint names, but it does provide opportunities for couples to maximise their combined tax-free retirement income and streamline estate planning.
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Rethinking the role of your home in retirement
Home ownership provides a sense of security and wellbeing in retirement, but it could also be a potential source of income.
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How the rich invest
Wealthy Australians have surfed the wave of strong investment returns in 2025, with a disciplined approach and a growing appetite for alternative investments.
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Super pension funds put to the test
A new consumer-friendly review of pension funds reveals which funds are ticking all the right boxes.
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3 very different types of ‘retirement’
Today’s 60- and 70-somethings are reinventing retirement, easing into it with a focus on finding meaning and purpose in flexible part-time work, volunteering and new activities.
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Retiring overseas: Implications for your super and tax
Escaping to a dream location where the living is easy can be tempting for cash-strapped retirees, but there are some practical issues to be aware of before you make the leap.
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How a transition to retirement (TTR) pension works
If you’re over 60 and not ready to retire but would like some extra cash to top up your super or wind back your working hours, then a TTR pension could help.
