The assumption that retired people have minimal housing costs underpins the settings of our retirement incomes system. But the real state of housing for older Australians today makes it critical for the Retirement Incomes Review to look at the evidence that now challenges this assumption. Increasingly unaffordable housing and COVID-19 have added to concerns about the circumstances and living situations of older people who do not own homes, have limited wealth and savings and do not have the benefit of living in social housing. These households rely on the private rental market and are at considerable risk of housing affordability stress and hence homelessness. Older women are the fastest-growing group of homeless people in Australia in recent years and this trend will continue in the absence of concerted action.

If the oceans are boiling, is superannuation a blunt tool?

By David Bell “Given the interaction between super, aged pension, and housing in retirement, and observing that these areas sit in different government portfolios, would you consider establishing a more integrated policy function focused on retirement incomes?”. This was my question to Chris Bowen at a talk he gave last year. The response: “Don’t boil… Read More

October 22, 2018 by cfsri

Australia slips in global pension fund ranking

Australia has slipped from third to fourth position in the newly released Mercer Global Pension Index for 2018, a survey widely considered the most comprehensive overview of global pension systems. The study of 34 retirement income systems around the world ranks them by three broad measures – adequacy, sustainability and integrity. Aggregate scores, the weighted… Read More

June 12, 2018July 1, 2018 by cfsri

Seeking Income Security for Older Australians – The CSRI Leadership Forum 2018

Following the government’s announcement of important policy changes relating to post retirement, leaders of the superannuation industry, policy, academic and community circles converged at the CSRI Leadership Forum in Canberra on 30-31 May 2018 to discuss the ramifications of these proposed reforms. The Forum brought together a broad range of perspectives in debating the… Read More