Want to know how to access your super? Visit Mercer Super Australia website

When you can Access your super

Superannuation is designed by the Government to help ensure you have money set aside when you retire. This is why there are rules around when you can access your super.

You can start to withdraw from your super when you:

  • Turn 65 (even if you’re still working), or
  • Leave your job after turning 60, or
  • Meet Transition to Retirement rules#, which allow you to access your super when you reach your preservation age while you continue working.  
  • Reach your preservation age and stop working (or if you stop working at least 10 or more hours per week).

Your preservation age is based on when you were born.

It’s important to know that your preservation age is not the same as your pension age, which is when you can qualify for the government Age Pension*.

When you can access your super

Date of birth

Your preservation age
Before 30 June 1962 You can already access your super
Between 1 July 1962 and 30 June 1963 58
Between 1 July 1963 and 30 June 1964 59
After 30 June 1964 60

 

How to access your super

Once you’re eligible to access your super, you can open an account to access your super as an income.

This can work in two ways:

Transition to Retirement (TTR) account.

If you’ve reached your preservation age and you’re still working, you can start a TTR account to access your super and top up your income. You might want to reduce your work hours, or just save more before you retire.

Pension account.

If you’ve retired (or would like to), left a job after age 60, or you’ve turned 65, you can start a pension account to access your super as an income, paid straight into your nominated bank account.

 

Why start a pension account?

  • While you’re receiving your regular pension payments; your remaining pension balance is invested and continues to earn interest, which can mean more pension payments to draw from.
  • Mercer Super members can enjoy a seamless transfer into a pension account. Your money will remain invested in your selected investment option^;  which you can change anytime.  If you’re invested in Mercer SmartPath, your investments are automatically adjusted, so you’re taking fewer risks as you get older.
  • Once you reach 60, your retirement income payments are generally tax-free and don’t need to be declared as assessable income when you lodge a tax return.
  • Choose the frequency of your pension payments (monthly, quarterly or annually) and change the amount whenever you want.

 


Making sense of super

Your super will help determine the quality of life you lead in retirement. It’s an essential part of Australia’s retirement income system, which is one of the world’s best.

Our retirement system has three main parts: compulsory superannuation, the tax-payer funded age pension and private savings – including voluntary super contributions.

Together these should allow you, and all Australians, to maintain a quality standard of living throughout retirement.

Age Pension

 

Superannuation

Private savings – including voluntary contributions

The age pension and related benefits are meant to supplement your accumulated superannuation and retirement savings and to ensure no older Australian lives in poverty. It is designed to provide a modest level of income and housing security during retirement.

 

Compulsory super contributions are meant to provide enough income for you to maintain roughly the same standard of living you enjoyed throughout your working life.

By reducing reliance on the age pension, super reduces the cost to government and helps ensure the long-term viability of the age pension, ensuring the safety net is there for your children and grandchildren.

Voluntary super contributions and other personal savings provide you with more flexibility to improve your retirement lifestyle.

 

Take control

Choose to top up your income by receiving payments from your super with a Transition to Retirement (TTR) account.

Find out more

Turn Your Super Into An Income

Access your super as an income, paid straight into your nominated bank account.

Find out more

Super And The Government Age Pension

Find out how to use Mercer Super’s pension account to top up your government age pension payments.

Find out more

 

#Find out more about Transition to Retirement rules at ato..gov.au

*Find out more about the Age Pension here.

^ Or a closely aligned option. Members with investments in Mercer Direct will have to sell/redeem these assets before transferring to pension.