Have you reached preservation age and still have a mortgage? If so, you may be able to use your super to deal with your rising mortgage repayments if you meet certain conditions.
Introduction
The constant increase to interest rates over the last two years have left some borrowers strapped for cash. Fortunately, those that have reached preservation age can access their superannuation via a special type of pension, known as a transition to retirement (TTR) pension, even if they haven’t retired.
What is preservation age?
Your preservation age is the earliest age you can access your superannuation. The preservation age that applies to you depends on your date of birth and ranges from age 55 to 60, as shown in the table below.
| Date of birth | Preservation age | When preservation age is reached |
| Before 1 July 1960 | 55 | 1 July 2014 or earlier |
| 1 July 1960 – 30 June 1961 | 56 | 1 July 2016 |
| 1 July 1961 – 30 June 1962 | 57 | 1 July 2018 |
| 1 July 1962 – 30 June 1963 | 58 | 1 July 2020 |
| 1 July 1963 – 30 June 1964 | 59 | 1 July 2022 |
| On or after 1 July 1964 | 60 | 1 July 2024 or later |
Alternatively, you will also reach preservation age when you reach age 65, even if you are still working.
What is a TTR pension?
A TTR pension allows you to supplement your income by allowing you to access some of your superannuation once you’ve reached your preservation age. You can start a TTR pension by transferring some of your superannuation to an account-based pension (ABP), which is a regular income stream bought with money from your superannuation fund.
Once you start a TTR pension, you need to withdraw payments between a minimum and maximum range each year. The minimum drawdown rate depends on your age and is 4% for those under 65 years old. The maximum amount you can withdraw is 10% of your account balance as at 1 July of each financial year (or 10% of the value from the date your TTR pension started in that financial year). This means you can choose pension payments anywhere between your minimum and maximum payment limit each year.
Tip – if you commence a TTR pension halfway through the year, the minimum payment percentage is pro-rated to reflect the number of days the pension is in place in that first financial year. The minimum will be recalculated at 1 July based on your TTR pension balance and your age at that time to factor in a whole year’s worth of pension payments.
Give us a call on 02 4910 5555 or contact us here if you need any further information or would like a chat.
