Retirement is a common financial goal for all of us, but one of the hardest to define. You have no idea when you are going to die, what the market returns will be before and during retirement, and tax and superannuation policy can change over the decades. In other words, there are many factors outside of your control that can influence your retirement oucomes and quality of life.

This does not mean that you should throw your hands up in the air and declare there’s no point planning. Having a properly planned financial goal will give you a yardstick that will guide your retirement planning, and you can revise and adjust as circumstances inevitably change.

In this week’s newsletter, we’ve put together our best resources to help you on your retirement planning journey.

Estimate the savings you need to retire. Use the Morningstar retirement model to come up with a retirement plan that estimates the amount you need to retire and the variables that will impact future outcomes.

What returns do you need for a comfortable retirement?The math behind your retirement outcomes.

How much do you need to save for retirement?It is a simple question with an answer we probably don’t want to hear.

Add certainty to your retirement.What a trip to Monte Carlo can teach you about having a more secure retirement.

What if you don’t have enough to retire?4 steps to stretch your retirement savings.

Meg on SMSFs: Ageing and its financial challenges. Ageing SMSF members can face issues funding their pension income as cash reserves dwindle. Potential solutions include involving adult children in contributions.

Are you ready for retirement?A four step checklist to get ready for retirement.

Is this a safe way to get higher returns in retirement?Conventional wisdom tells retirees to seek safety with a conservative asset allocation in retirement. Is there a better way?

Is this commonly cited retirement rule irrelevant?Mark answers a reader question about spending in retirement.

Can you retire on dividends alone? Living off of investment income addresses key risks faced by retirees.

Are you neglecting the non-financial aspects of retirement planning?Retirement doesn’t always feel like the perpetual holiday that we imagine it will be. These tips can help.

Answering your questions about retirement.The Morningstar community has the following questions about planning for retirement. Here are my thoughts.

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Invest Your Way

A message from Mark and Shani

For the past five years, we’ve released a weekly podcast and written on morningstar.com.au to arm you with the tools to invest successfully. We’ve always strived to provide independent, thoughtful analysis, backed by the work of hundreds of researchers and professionals at Morningstar.

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