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Splitting super with your spouse: could it benefit your retirement? 💰Many Australian couples reach retirement with one p...
19/10/2026

Splitting super with your spouse: could it benefit your retirement? 💰

Many Australian couples reach retirement with one partner holding significantly more super than the other.

But did you know there's a way to help balance things out?

Super contribution splitting allows you to transfer up to 85% of eligible annual super contributions to your spouse's account.

Here's why it could be worth considering:

🔹 Balance your super: Help reduce the gap between your retirement savings.

🔹 Potential tax benefits: Better manage individual super balance thresholds.

🔹 More flexibility: Keep more retirement planning options open for the future.

The key? Starting early and making it part of your annual financial planning.

Read the full article here or click the link in our bio:
https://windmillfp.com.au/splitting-super-with-your-spouse/

This is general information only and doesn't take your personal circumstances into account. Speak to a financial adviser before making decisions about your super.

Sequence of returns: why timing matters in retirement. ⏰Two retirees. Same starting balance, same withdrawals and the sa...
14/10/2026

Sequence of returns: why timing matters in retirement. ⏰

Two retirees. Same starting balance, same withdrawals and the same average investment returns. Yet one ends up more than $420,000 ahead after 10 years.

The difference? The order in which their investment returns occurred.

This is known as sequence of returns risk, and it can have a significant impact on your retirement savings, particularly in the early years.

🔹 Market downturns: Early losses can have a lasting impact when you're withdrawing income.

🔹 Cash buffers: Having funds set aside may help you avoid selling investments during a downturn.

🔹 Flexible withdrawals: Adjusting your spending when markets fall can help protect your savings.

You can't predict market movements, but you can plan for them.

Read the full article here or click the link in our bio:
https://windmillfp.com.au/sequence-of-returns-the-risk-that-compounds/

This is general information only and doesn't take your personal circumstances into account. Speak to a financial adviser before making decisions about your retirement savings.

Winding up an SMSF: how do you know when it's time? ⏰Setting up a self managed super fund (SMSF) is a big decision. But ...
12/10/2026

Winding up an SMSF: how do you know when it's time? ⏰

Setting up a self managed super fund (SMSF) is a big decision. But knowing when to close one can be just as important.

An SMSF might have worked well for years, but circumstances change.

🔹 Rising costs: As your super balance decreases, ongoing administration and audit fees can become harder to justify.

🔹 Changing circumstances: Retirement, the loss of a partner or health changes can make managing an SMSF more challenging.

🔹 Less complexity: Sometimes moving to a simpler super structure makes more sense.

But closing your SMSF isn't always the answer. You may be able to simplify how it's managed while keeping the benefits that matter to you.

And here's something worth knowing: the order in which you close an SMSF matters. Getting it wrong could lead to unnecessary tax costs or the loss of insurance cover.

Read the full article here or click the link in our bio:
https://windmillfp.com.au/winding-up-an-smsf-knowing-when-the-fund-has-done-its-job/

This is general information only and doesn't take your personal circumstances into account. Speak to a financial adviser before making decisions about your super.

Transition to retirement: does it still make sense after 60? 🕰️It’s been declared dead more than once, but a TTR pension...
06/10/2026

Transition to retirement: does it still make sense after 60? 🕰️

It’s been declared dead more than once, but a TTR pension is really two strategies sharing one name:

🔹 The wind-down: cut your hours and use super to top up your pay
🔹 The boost: keep working full time, salary sacrifice, and draw a TTR pension to fill the gap

And here’s the part many people miss: if you’ve changed jobs or ended a contract since turning 60, you may have already met a condition of release. If your fund hasn’t been told, you could still be paying earnings tax you don’t need to.

Read the full article: https://windmillfp.com.au/our-latest-financial-news/

This is general information only and doesn’t take your personal circumstances into account. Speak to a financial adviser before making decisions about your super.

01/09/2026

Planning to leave your super to your adult kids? It might not be as tax free as you’d think.

Super law and tax law don’t agree on who counts as a dependant. You can nominate an adult child without any issue, but unless they’re financially dependent on you, the taxable portion of what they receive gets taxed at up to 17%. For a $400,000 death benefit with a $300,000 taxable component, that can mean a tax bill of around $51,000, a number that catches a lot of people off guard.

Wondering what this could mean for your own estate plan?

🔗 Read the full article, link in bio or click here: https://windmillfp.com.au/q-a-questions-and-answers/

31/08/2026

Just received an inheritance and already getting asked what you’re going to do with it?

Here’s the short answer, you don’t need to decide anything fast. The first month is for parking the money somewhere simple and getting through the estate admin, not making big moves. The first six months are for actually understanding what you’ve received, since cash, shares, property and super are all treated differently. The bigger decisions, like paying down debt, boosting super or gifting to family, usually land best in months six to twelve, once the full picture is clear.

Wondering what the right timeline looks like for your situation?

🔗 Read the full article, link in bio or click here: https://windmillfp.com.au/q-a-questions-and-answers/

26/08/2026

If you already have life, TPD and income protection, do you really need trauma cover too?

The truth is these three covers pay on completely different timelines. Income protection only kicks in after a waiting period, often 30 to 90 days, and TPD can take months to assess since it needs proof the situation is permanent. In the early weeks after a serious diagnosis, neither has paid a cent. Trauma cover fills that exact gap with a lump sum on diagnosis, no waiting to see if you can still work. Whether you actually need it comes down to what else would carry your household through those first months.

Wondering if your current cover has a gap like this?

🔗 Read the full article, link in bio or click here: https://windmillfp.com.au/q-a-questions-and-answers/

Buying with just a 5% deposit sounds like a dream for first home buyers, but is it actually working the way it was meant...
10/08/2026

Buying with just a 5% deposit sounds like a dream for first home buyers, but is it actually working the way it was meant to?

Since income limits were scrapped in October 2025, thousands of higher income earners have jumped on the scheme too, some couples earning well over $200,000. That's raised real questions about whether it's still helping the buyers who need it most, and whether it's quietly pushing up prices in the process. There's also the practical side, borrowing 95% of a property's value means a bigger loan, higher repayments, and less room if the market dips.

Wondering whether the scheme actually makes sense for your situation?

🔗 Read the full article, link in bio or click here: https://windmillfp.com.au/the-5-deposit-scheme-is-growing-but-what-does-it-mean-for-first-home-buyers/

Rates could go up, hold, or come down at the next RBA decision, so what does that actually mean for your mortgage?Every ...
04/08/2026

Rates could go up, hold, or come down at the next RBA decision, so what does that actually mean for your mortgage?

Every scenario matters. A rise means checking your budget and buffer, a hold doesn't guarantee your rate stays competitive since lenders move independently anyway, and a cut doesn't always get passed on in full. The banks themselves are split, Westpac's tipping possible hikes while CBA, ANZ and NAB expect things to stay steady for now. Either way, your home loan is worth reviewing before the decision lands, not after.

Wondering how prepared your mortgage actually is for whatever happens next?

🔗 Read the full article, link in bio or click here: https://windmillfp.com.au/what-could-the-next-rba-rate-decision-mean-for-borrowers/

What actually pays the bills in the months right after a serious diagnosis, before anyone knows how things will turn out...
03/08/2026

What actually pays the bills in the months right after a serious diagnosis, before anyone knows how things will turn out?

That's the gap most households don't think about. Income protection doesn't start for weeks, TPD only pays if the condition turns out to be permanent, and treatment costs land straight away. Trauma cover was built for exactly this window, a lump sum on diagnosis, no waiting to see if you can still work. A lot of people used to have it and don't anymore, often without realising the gap it used to cover.

Wondering what would actually fund your household if this happened tomorrow?

🔗 Read the full article, link in bio or click here: https://windmillfp.com.au/trauma-cover-and-the-gap-it-was-designed-to-fill/

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Sydney, NSW
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