AvSuper Advice – the finer details

AvSuper advice can cover all sorts of topics for members of all ages. Our consultants can help you understand and make decisions about your AvSuper membership. After chatting to you and collecting all relevant information, our Member Advice Consultant will analyse your situation and prepare a written statement of advice (SOA) outlining the options which we think best suit you. Our main concern is to help you make the right decisions about AvSuper and/or retirement for your personal circumstances. Some commons questions are answered below, but if unsure, just call our Member Advice Team for obligation-free, friendly responses.

Remember that all AvSuper works on a not for profit and no commission basis – AvSuper advisers will only give you advice suited to your needs and goals.

What advice can I get?

Our consultants can help you understand and make decisions about your AvSuper membership, ranging from general advice to highly personalised advice about what is best for you. We cover many topics, including the following questions we often hear from members:

Should I be making additional contributions to save for my retirement and how much should I be contributing?
Would I be better contributing via salary sacrifice or post-tax?
Which investment choice is right for me?
Do I have enough insurance through super?
How do I access my super in retirement as an income stream (pension)?
How will an Income Stream impact on any Centrelink entitlements?
When is the best time for me to retire, financially?

Read some other common questions answered by our advice consultants for ideas on how we can help you. Note that our super advice is limited to your AvSuper membership and will not compare AvSuper with other providers.

How will I get the advice?

After chatting to you and collecting all relevant information, our Member Advice Consultant will analyse your situation and prepare a written statement of advice (SOA) outlining the options which we think best suit you. It’s a good idea to have financial information with you at the appointment (read our fact sheet for what information may be required). Of course, simpler advice can be given quickly over the phone or in a short appointment.

Who gives me the advice?

AvSuper’s Member Advice Consultants are qualified, professional financial advisers able to assist you with specific personal advice needs related to AvSuper and retirement. You can read more about our advice team and their specific qualifications on our Advisers page.

Note: AvSuper consultants do not receive any commissions so you can be confident that the advice takes into account YOUR best interests.

What about if I’m thinking of retiring?

Broadly, when you retire (completely or by reducing working hours in some circumstances) you can leave your money in super, withdraw it all or access an income stream – or a combination of these. With tax and Centrelink implications, this can be a complex decision.

An AvSuper Advice Consultant can help you understand your options and provide you with advice that best suits your retirement needs. We can help you with strategic investment advice, decisions about selling real estate to fund super, make a recontribution strategy, what type of beneficiary to nominate and other questions.

I'm not sure if I need complex advice so how much will advice cost?

We always explain the fees before giving the advice or charging you. So once we have established your needs for advice, we can tell you exactly what fees apply. If you’re considering getting advice but are nervous about the fees, just give us a call to get an idea of what is involved – there is no commitment from a phone call!

I don't live in Canberra. Does that mean I can't use your services?

Absolutely not! We can and do give advice to members across Australia, and would love to offer our expertise to you as well. While our office is in Canberra, we offer appointments via phone (or similar technology such as Skype) and travel to other cities – we aim to be in the major cities and regional centres regularly for personal appointments.

Do I have to be an AvSuper member to get AvSuper Advice?

Good question! Generally we only give advice to our existing members but can also advise prospective members about how and when to start an AvSuper income stream or choose their investment options in a new AvSuper account.

Can I request a certain adviser?

Yes, you can request to meet with a specific AvSuper Adviser – and we will endeavour to give you the same adviser each time, too. However, please note that finding a suitable time with a specific person may mean it will be a little longer until your appointment.

How do I pay for any advice?

General advice from an AvSuper financial planner does not have any fees.

However, if you require more complex advice, we will discuss any fees with you before we give any advice. We will also discuss with you your payment options, such as deducting the fee from your super account or paying us directly.