Super Lifestyle Projector
See what kind of retirement your super will actually fund. Compare low-fee index, balanced, high-growth, and high-fee retail funds. Includes Age Pension and personalised recommendations.
Your situation
Salary sacrifice + personal deductible contributions
Default 25 — i.e. retire at 67, draw down to 92
You're above the ASFA Comfortable benchmark (236%)
Compare your fund options
Same contributions, same time horizon — different fund. The gap is purely fees and growth rate compounded over 37 years.
Tap a card to see its retirement income and lifestyle gauge above.
Selected: Default balanced
Age Pension qualifying age is 67. Assets test threshold singles homeowners: $314,000. Pension tapers as super balance rises above this.
Personalised recommendations
Based on your inputs, here are the highest-leverage moves you could make.
Switch to a lower-fee fund
+$1,055,101If you're currently in a higher-fee retail fund, switching to a low-fee index option could add about $1,055,101 to your final balance — purely from compounding fee savings over 37 years.
Salary sacrifice an extra $5,000/year
+$559,754You have $18,000 of concessional cap headroom. Adding $5,000/year via salary sacrifice would add about $559,754 to your retirement balance — and reduce your tax bill by your marginal rate minus 15% on the contribution.
Check for lost or multiple super accounts
The average Australian has 1.5 super accounts. Multiple accounts mean multiple sets of fees. Check myGov → ATO online services → Super for lost super. Consolidating can save hundreds per year in fees.
Review insurance inside super
+$22,200Default life + TPD + income protection cover comes out of your super balance. If you don't need it (e.g. no dependants, low debt), cancelling can save $300-1,500/year — directly boosting your balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Index funds passively track a market benchmark with very low fees (~0.15%). High-fee retail funds (often older bank-owned products) charge 1-2% for active management. Over 30+ years, that fee difference can erase 20-30% of your final balance — even if the underlying returns are similar.
The Age Pension (qualifying age 67) supplements your super income. As your super balance falls below the assets test threshold ($314K single homeowner / $470K couple homeowner), the pension increases proportionally. Most retirees receive some pension — full or part-pension — alongside their super drawdown.
ASFA publishes quarterly benchmarks for "Modest" and "Comfortable" retirement lifestyles. For 2025-26 (singles): Modest is ~$32,930/yr (basic needs), Comfortable is ~$52,085/yr (occasional holiday, social activities, modest car). Couples: Modest ~$47,475, Comfortable ~$73,337.
No — figures are in nominal future dollars. To convert to "today's purchasing power", divide by (1.03)^years until retirement, assuming 3% long-term inflation. We show nominal figures because they're what your super statement will show, but the ASFA targets are inflation-adjusted each quarter.
We use a constant-return annuity formula over your stated retirement years, with a more conservative return rate (de-risked portfolio). Real retirement income varies year-to-year. For more nuanced modelling, talk to a licensed adviser.
Preservation age (when you can access super) is 60 for those born after 1964. But Age Pension qualifying age is 67. If you retire at 60-66, you bridge the gap entirely from super. Set "retirement age" in the calculator to your target — and remember Age Pension only starts at 67 regardless of when you stop working.
Use this for direction, not as advice. Switching funds has implications (insurance cover may lapse, transitions take 2-4 weeks). Consult a licensed financial adviser or use Moneysmart.gov.au's YourSuper comparison before changing.
Related Resources
This projector uses 2025-26 Age Pension rates, ASFA Retirement Standard benchmarks, and approximate fund returns/fees. Nominal future dollars (not inflation-adjusted). General information only — not financial product advice. Consult a licensed adviser before changing super funds or contribution strategies.
Last updated: June 2026