NEW RETIREMENT INDEX REVEALS AVERAGE SINGLE AUSTRALIAN WILL REACH 61 PER CENT OF RETIREMENT NEEDS

The CommBank Retire Ready Index, launched today, found the average single Australian who receives the Age Pension is expected to reach personal retirement savings equivalent to 61 per cent of what they need above the Age Pension for a comfortable retirement¹. However, without the Age Pension the average single Australian is expected to be just 46 per cent retire ready.

Couples are better off than singles according to the new Index. After receiving the Age Pension, couples with similar income levels² are expected to achieve almost complete retirement adequacy, reaching retirement savings equivalent to 98 per cent of their comfortable retirement needs. On the other hand, without the Age Pension, couples are expected to be just 60 per cent retire ready.

Nicolette Rubinsztein, General Manager Retirement, Commonwealth Bank, said, “The Age Pension acts as a buffer and significantly boosts retirement savings, but clearly the results show that single Australians are not retiring with adequate levels of retirement savings to achieve a comfortable level of retirement.

“Couples make up 71 per cent of Australia’s population aged between 65 - 74³, so it is pleasing that certain couples are almost reaching the Australian Superannuation funds of Australia (ASFA) March quarter 2015 standard for a comfortable lifestyle of $58,444 per annum, compared to the average single Australian who is expected to reach just $37,000 per annum – a significant shortfall from the ASFA comfortable standard of retirement of $42,569 per annum,” Ms Rubinsztein said.  

The Index shows that single females are 30 per cent less retire ready than men. After receiving the Age Pension, the average single female is expected to reach personal retirement savings equivalent to 47 per cent of her comfortable retirement needs above the age pension or just $35,000 per annum, compared to the average single male who will retire with retirement savings equivalent to 78 per cent of his comfortable retirement needs above the Age Pension or $39,000 per annum.

“The gap is higher for women because, on average, they have a longer life expectancy and therefore need to hold assets for longer to maintain a comfortable level of retirement. Women can also have lower retirement savings due to career breaks during their child bearing years and lower income levels over their working lives. These factors contribute to women being worse off than men in terms of saving for their retirement needs,” Ms Rubinsztein said.

Worryingly, the Index found that Australians on the cusp of retirement between ages 60-64 are the least likely to be retire ready. After receiving the Age Pension, single females are expected to reach retirement assets equivalent of just 36 per cent of their comfortable retirement needs above the Age Pension or $32,000 per annum, while single males are expected to retire with retirement savings equivalent to 62 per cent of their comfortable retirement needs above the Age Pension or $37,000 per annum.

Couples between the ages of 60-64 who receive the Age Pension are better off than singles but are also the least retire ready compared to other age groups, only attaining retirement savings equivalent to 84 per cent of their comfortable retirement needs above the Age Pension or $56,000 per annum, assuming they are on similar income levels.

“The older age groups have suffered from the fact that they haven’t enjoyed Superannuation Guarantee contributions over their working lifetimes and they have had less time to achieve adequate retirement savings. Recent research⁴ found almost three quarters of older workers across Australia are willing to stay in the workforce for longer and 61 per cent cited financial security as the major reason older workers continue to keep working.

“It is imperative that people at all age demographics gain an understanding of the level of retirement savings they will need today to be able to reach a comfortable level of retirement income to avoid a significant shortfall.

“For example, a single male earning the average Australian⁵ wage between $74,000 and $88,800 and between the ages of 40-44 needed savings of $165,000 as at 30 June 2014 to be on track to achieve the ASFA comfortable standard of living. A single female earning in the same income bracket and in the same age group needed to have savings of $220,000 – significantly more because females, on average, live longer,” Ms Rubinsztein said.

To help Australians understand the required savings for a comfortable retirement, the following tables outline required savings by age and income for single males and females against the ASFA comfortable retirement levels.