How to take control of your retirement savings
Feeling overwhelmed by your retirement savings? In this episode, I share a step-by-step guide to help you take back control - with expert insights from UniSuper’s Giacomo Tarantolo.
Ad - Before we start — a big thanks to our podcast sponsor this week, UniSuper
Rethinking what it means to be retired? Preparing for your Prime Time?
Then you need a super fund with competitive fees and strong long-term performance.
You’ll be pleased to know that UniSuper’s got both — plus an award-winning app to help you stay in control. Let’s face it, these aren’t things you want to compromise on. Know how to grow — with UniSuper.
*Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Before making decisions, consider UniSuper’s PDS and TMD on its website and your circumstances, because we haven’t.
If you don’t feel totally in control of your retirement savings — or you’re not even sure where to start — you’re not alone. In this episode of Prime Time, I share the practical steps you can take to build clarity, confidence and momentum with your money.
And to help answer the big questions that come up along the way, I’m joined by Giacomo Tarantolo, Manager of Retirement Solutions at UniSuper, who shares how your super fund can support you — from digital tools to real-life advice that makes planning for retirement feel less overwhelming.
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Highlights of the conversation:
The very first step to take: Visualise your ideal life — before and after retirement. Don’t let money dictate the picture too early. Think about where and how you want to live, travel plans, community, health and family time.
Why retirement isn't a single event: Explore the three phases — the setup phase (financial prep), the life styling phase (sabbaticals, long weekends, freedom), and the part-timing phase (gradual transition rather than a hard stop).
How to build your “big financial picture”: Learn how to map your income, expenses, assets and liabilities to see what you’re working with — and spot any gaps.
Start by playing, not panicking: Why using calculators and digital tools can help you understand your super and try out different scenarios — without committing to anything just yet.
The power of doing your own prep first: You’ll get more out of a financial adviser if you’ve already mapped your goals and done some self-education.
What most Australians are asking: Giacomo shares the top retirement questions UniSuper hears — and why the number one concern is not knowing where to go for answers.
Why money isn't the only issue: The surprising stat that 30% of people delay retirement because they don’t want to lose their workplace social connections.
Planning for a longer life — Why retirement strategies today need to account for people living well into their 90s (and sometimes beyond)
Ways your super fund can support you — From digital calculators to hybrid advice models, how UniSuper is helping members make confident retirement decisions
One small action to take today: Start writing down what a fulfilling retirement looks like for you — not in dollars, but in goals, values and aspirations
From Bec’s Desk
I discovered some new data this week that I think tells an exciting story to everyone in their Prime Time today.
The IMF has just published a report that completely flips the script on ageing. According to their findings, a 70-year-old in 2022 has the same cognitive abilities as a 53-year-old back in the year 2000. Stop and think about that for a second: in just two decades (in our lifetime), we’ve effectively gained nearly 20 extra years of brainpower.
And it doesn’t stop there. Physically, too, we’re ahead. The same study found that today’s 70-year-olds show grip strength and lung function comparable to a 56-year-old two decades ago. This isn’t just a nice headline — it’s based on robust surveys of more than one million people aged 50 and over, across 41 countries.
What does it mean for us? It means our Prime Time is an important stage of our life. And it isn’t about winding down. It’s about recognising that we have sharper minds, stronger bodies, and more opportunity than the generations before us. It’s an invitation to lean into this stage of life with excitement, not fear.
I love this data because it matches what so many of us are already feeling: that we’re not “old” in the way our parents or grandparents were at the same age. We’ve got more energy, more curiosity, and more potential to do the things that matter most — whether that’s work we love, travel, learning, creativity, or investing in family and community.
If seventy really is the new fifty… just imagine what our fifties and sixties can be. And if you’re not there yet? That’s something to get excited about. I dropped an extra bonus edition of the Prime Time podcast to share more about this.
And, while you’re here - today, we kick off the Spring Edition of the How to Have an Epic Retirement Flagship Course, and it’s our biggest cohort yet.
Finally, if you haven’t picked up a copy of Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the New Midlife yet - what are you waiting for? You can’t learn if you’re not curious!
Prime Time: the juiciest stage of life
Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the New Midlife (the book) is the prequel to How to Have an Epic Retirement. It’s written for people in their late 40s, 50s and 60s who want to make the most of the juicy, potential-filled years leading up to retirement — and then step into an epic one. Prime Time: 27 Lessons for the New Midlife debuted as the #1 bestselling self-help book by an Australian author — and it’s redefining how a generation thinks about midlife. You can find it wherever you buy books.