Did you know there’s a secret weapon when it comes to building financial resilience? Turns out that Australians who have had advice are much more likely to be able to cope in times of market turbulence, according to the 2025 Empowered Australian* report commissioned by Colonial First State.
Confidence is one of the key outcomes financial advice offers.
The opposite is true for one in three of those who have never received advice. Instead of feeling confident about their financial situation, they say it’s affecting their lifestyle and wellbeing.
Something to consider, as while financial markets have bounced back strongly from sharp falls in April, the road ahead may be bumpy.
Recent events on the world stage have triggered significant volatility in sharemarkets. It’s in times like this where having access to a financial adviser can make a huge difference.
More money in retirement is the hottest advice topic
Most retired Australians want financial advice but many aren’t sure how to get it or if they can afford it. Hot topics include:
- boosting income in retirement
- getting a better return on investments
- understanding eligibility for government benefits and
- estate planning.
With that in mind, below are three simple ways to access specialist retirement advice that you may not have considered.
- Tap into free general advice from your super fund
Broad general advice on super and retirement products is made available by super funds to their members.
- Use your super or pension to pay for advice
Did you know you can pay for advice directly from your super or retirement savings? Seven in ten Australians don’t know this, according to the Colonial First State report.
With rising costs more of a concern this year than they were a year ago, it’s good to know that comprehensive or indepth personal financial advice with no upfront hit to the hip pocket is available.
There are some rules around this to protect your super or retirement savings. The advice must relate to how you could use your super to fund or save for retirement, setting up a pension, or managing investment risk to make your money last longer.
Advice could save you thousands of dollars over time without putting a dent in your weekly budget now.
- Consult a retirement specialist
Specialist retirement advice can help boost your retirement income and ensure you don’t miss out on government benefits.
One third of all recipients apply for the government Age Pension at least a year later than they could have, research from Retirement Essentials shows – that’s money you won’t get back if you don’t apply on time^.
Other government benefits, such as the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, can be worth thousands of dollars a year in reduced health and medical costs#.
* CFS conducted research with 2250 Australians between October and December 2024 on access to financial advice for the 2025 Empowered Australian report.
^ Research on the cost of late applications for the Age Pension and related government benefits from Retirement Essentials and Link Advice, 2024.
# Research on Commonwealth Seniors Health Card uptake from Retirement Essentials, 2025.
Source: Colonial First State