When can I afford to retire?

It comes together in a few steps. First, the income you'll actually want each year once you've stopped work — a real figure based on the life you picture, not a guess. Then we set aside the big one-offs still to come — a new car, a renovation, a trip that matters, helping the kids — along with an emergency reserve, so they're not quietly draining the money that's meant to pay your income.

What's left is your working capital. And the question becomes a simple one: can that capital, alongside anything the Age Pension adds, produce the income you want for the rest of your life? Answer that, and you have your number — and a realistic date to aim at.

If the number says you're not quite there, you have two levers — and really only two: spend a little less in retirement, or build a little more before you stop. A modest lift in super contributions, a plan to clear debt before you retire, or trimming the target income slightly — small moves, made early, can pull your date forward by more than you'd expect.

We model the trade-offs with you, so you can see exactly what each change buys you — and decide what's worth it. It's the first thing we tackle together in planning for retirement.