Income from super before you retire

Opening a BUSSQ Transition To Retirement (TTR) income account lets you access your super and keep working.

If you've reached preservation age and are under age 65, and still working, you can use a TTR income strategy to:

• Supplement your income if you reduce your work hours, or
• Boost your super and save on tax while you keep working full time.

How much do you need to invest?

You can start a BUSSQ TTR income account by transferring some of your super, at least $25,000, from your BUSSQ super account or any other super account you may have. You need to keep some money in your super account to continue to receive your employer's compulsory contributions, or any voluntary contributions you make.

Use a TTR strategy to reduce work hours

If you want to reduce the hours you work, a TTR strategy can top up your income and can be tax effective as well.

PROS

• Continue to receive super contributions – This helps to replace the money you take out
• Pay less tax – If you are age 60 or older, your TTR income payments are tax free. If you are preservation age to 59, your income payments are taxed at your marginal tax rate, but you get a 15% tax offset. Investment earnings are taxed at the concessional rate of 15%.
• Ease into retirement – You can start planning what you'll do with your leisure time before you completely retire.

CONS

• May affect your retirement income – If you start drawing down your super early and you may have less money when you retire.

Using your TTR to save on tax

You can use your TTR income to grow your super and pay less tax in the lead up to retirement. This strategy works best if you are 60 or older and a mid to upper income earner.

PROS

• Boost your super – A TTR income can be used with salary sacrificing to top up your super as you approach retirement
• Save tax – You pay 15% tax on salary sacrificed contributions. This is likely to be lower than your marginal tax rate. Investment earnings are taxed at the concessional rate of 15%.
• Pay less tax on income – If you are age 60 or older, your TTR income payments are tax free. If you are 55 to 59 you are taxed at your marginal tax rate, but you get a 15% tax offset.

CONS

• Complexity – You may need to pay for financial advice to understand if a TTR income account strategy is for you.

Flexibility

With a BUSSQ TTR Income account you are not locked into any particular investment strategy if you don't want to be. BUSSQ gives you the flexibility to move your investments around at any time. You also have the flexibility to design your own investment mix. There are a range of options from which you can choose, or you can choose The Smart Income Strategy where the mix is determined for you. Details of these are available online or in the Income account PDS.

Minimum and maximum limits

The federal government has set annual minimum and maximum payment limits. 

Minimum and maximum payment limits are calculated when your income account starts and then annually thereafter on 1 July. You also have the flexibility to decide, at any time, how much over and above your minimum limit you may wish to receive in payments for the next year, providing it is lower than your maximum payment limit.

The minimum limit is currently 2%* and the maximum is 10% of your TTR account balance.

Fees

Your BUSSQ Transition to Retirement Income account does not have a direct administration fee. The fees you pay for this account will vary based on the investment options that you select. For more information please refer to the Income account PDS.

Getting started

To open your TTR Income account give us a call on 1800 692 877 or download the Income account PDS and complete and return the Join BUSSQ Income account form.

Want to find out more?

If you're looking for some sound personal advice on which is the best way forward for you, we can help. As a BUSSQ member you have access to personal financial advice on contributions, investment choice and retirement and at no extra cost^. Find out more or call us on 1800 692 877.

_{*Minimum % of account balance you must withdraw each year. The Government temporarily halved the  aged based minimum annual payment amounts for Income accounts as part of their COVID-19 economic support.  This temporary reduction is in place until 30 June 2023. All age based minimum payment amounts are detailed in the Income account PDS.}

^{^Personal advice is limited to BUSSQ products and is advice on insurance, investment choice, contributions and retirement. The cost of this advice is included in the BUSSQ administration fees and costs and this advice is provided by Link Advice Pty Ltd (ABN 36 105 811 836 AFSL 258145). Source: moneysmart.gov.au. This information is general advice only and does not take into account or consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting, you should review the relevant Product Disclosure Statement to ensure you have all the information about the relevant BUSSQ product and how it works and consider the appropriateness of the information to your needs or seek independent advice from a properly qualified professional. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Prepared by BUSS(Queensland) Pty Ltd ABN 15 065 081 281, AFSL 237860, Trustee for Building Unions Superannuation Scheme (Queensland) (BUSSQ) ABN 85 571 332 201.}

^{This webpage provides general information only and does not take into account your personal financial situation or needs. Before acting, you should review the Product Disclosure Statement to ensure you have all the information about the relevant BUSSQ product and how it works and consider the appropriateness of the information to your needs or obtain financial advice tailored for your personal circumstances. A Target Market Determination (TMD) document shows the target market of consumers that a product is designed for and can be viewed on our TMD page.}