Search for lost super, consolidate your funds, and make the most of government co-contributions.
Rule 1: What’s missing? Search for lost super
Super is your money. Don’t ignore it. One in two working Australians has an unclaimed super balance, and there is currently more than $12.9 billion in lost or forgotten super, according to AUSfund, one of Australia’s largest unclaimed super funds. How does it happen? If you’ve had more than one job, chances are there is more than one super fund account with your name on it. If you’ve moved house, changed names or employers, your old fund may have lost touch with you. Why not claim what’s yours and roll it into your MTAA Super account? It’s easy to arrange.
Action plan: Visit the AUSfund unclaimed super website, www.unclaimedsuper.com.au or call AUSfund on 1300 361 798; visit the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website, www.ato.gov.au or call the ATO on 13 28 65.
Rule 2: Get it together! Consolidate your funds
Now that you’ve searched for and found any ‘missing’ money, check your files at home to see if you have any other super fund statements. If you have several accounts you could be losing money by paying multiple fees or even multiple insurance premiums. It may be better value for you to consolidate all of your super into your MTAA Super account, with one set of low fees and one lot of affordable insurance cover. It’s important to consider any exit fees you might have to pay or any loss of benefits from other funds, for example insurance.
If you plan to roll over your super into MTAA Super, it’s essential that you receive written notification from MTAA Super that your insurance arrangements have been accepted before you cancel your existing insurance cover with your other fund. Before deciding whether consolidating is right for you, we recommend that you seek personal financial advice from a licensed financial planner.
Action plan: If you decide to rollover your super into MTAA Super, fill in a rollover form for each account you want to consolidate. The form is downloadable from our website, www.mtaasuper.com.au, or call us on 1300 362 415. Send your completed forms to MTAA Super and we will forward them to your other funds.
Rule 3: Take advantage of co-contributions
This may sound too good to be true, but you can receive up to $1,000 from the government by simply making contributions to your super.
How does it work? The government ‘co-contributes’ $1 for every eligible $1 you contribute from your after-tax income. This goes up to a maximum of $1,000 if your total income (including certain fringe benefits and salary-sacrifice contributions) is less than $31,920 in this financial year and you are under 71 years old. If you earn more than $31,920 you are still eligible for some co-contribution, up to a total income (including certain fringe benefits and salary- sacrifice contributions) of $61,920.
Action plan: This couldn’t be easier. Make additional after- tax contributions to super, and the government co-contribution will be taken care of by the ATO as long as you submit a tax return and we have your tax file number. If you have any questions call our Customer Service Centre or visit the ATO website, www.ato.gov.au.
A Little More Now Equals a Lot More Later
These three simple rules will get you started, but there are many other smart ways to increase your retirement savings. Remember that the more you contribute now, the more time your money has to grow and earn compound interest (interest on interest) over the long term.
MTAA Super has a fact sheet called Making Extra Contributions that you can download from our website,www.mtaasuper.com.au, or ask our Customer Service Centre to send it to you. You can also ask us about attending an MTAA Super seminar, where these easy steps and more will be explained in detail.
The information in this article is provided by Motor Trades Association of Australia Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd (ABN 14 008 650 628 AFSL 238718), Trustee of the MTAA Superannuation Fund (MTAA Super) (ABN 74 559 365 913). Any advice contained in this article is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. The MTAA Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), an important document containing all the information you need to make a decision about MTAA Super, can be obtained by calling MTAA Super on 1300 362 415 or from www.mtaasuper.com.au. You should consider the PDS in making any decision about MTAA Super.
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