Calculate your future

You're never too young or too old to be thinking about what you want your big tomorrow to look like. The new NGS calculator is an easy-to-use tool that can help you understand how much income you may have in retirement and how long your super could last. You can also model the impact of various factors on your super balance, including making additional contributions, working fewer hours, and adjusting your investment mix.

NGS Education Manager, James Perry, helps members access the tools and resources to make planning for retirement easier. “The NGS Super Calculator can help you at whatever life stage you’re at. Whether you’re starting out and want to understand how your super is tracking or if you’re nearing the end of your career and want to understand how much income your super might provide you in retirement, the calculator is a helpful tool,” said James.

How can you use the NGS Super Calculator to plan your future?

Use the calculator to boost your super

Use the NGS calculator to forecast your projected retirement balance if you were to make voluntary contributions to your super.

Calculator projections are based on assumptions which may turn out to be incorrect. For example, actual investment returns may differ from the assumed returns, there could be changes to legislation and your personal circumstances could change.

A great way to build your super is to make voluntary contributions. These are different to your employer contributions because they’re not compulsory. People make voluntary super contributions to give their super balance a boost, so they can have more money to enjoy when they retire.

There are 2 main types of voluntary superannuation contributions: after-tax (or non-concessional) and before-tax (concessional).

After-tax contributions — If you’re employed, your take-home pay usually has PAYG tax deducted from it. If you contribute to your super with that money, it will be an after-tax contribution, also known as a non-concessional contribution.

Before-tax contributions — Also known as concessional contributions, these are made with money that hasn’t been taxed yet. Your super guarantee (SG) employer contributions fall under this category, but you can also choose to make additional before-tax contributions, such as via salary sacrifice.

Each type of voluntary contribution comes with its own set of benefits, rules and limits. It’s important to understand these before making voluntary super contributions.

Use the calculator to learn about super and investing

Use the NGS calculator to learn how your super may grow over time by changing your investment mix.

Super funds usually let you choose the investment option(s) your money is invested in, and most will also have a default option that your monies are invested in if you don’t make a choice. Each investment option is generally broken down into asset classes, which can be classified as either defensive or growth assets. Defensive assets include cash, government and high-quality corporate bonds. They tend to provide stability and lower overall investment risk. On the other hand, growth assets, which include shares and real estate investments, come with higher risk but offer the potential for higher returns.

Use the calculator to manage your super if you work part-time

Use the NGS calculator to see how much super you may earn if you were to work part-time.

Yes. Under superannuation guarantee legislation, all employers must pay a minimum of 11.5% super for all eligible staff, whether they're full-time, part-time or casual. This is increasing to 12% from 1 July this year. This legislation ensures that working Australians are guaranteed to have some level of retirement savings.

Use the calculator if you're nearing retirement

A transition to retirement strategy allows you to draw money from your super while you continue to work. You can top up your super by contributing some or all of your salary, providing a tax-efficient way of saving for retirement. Our calculator can give you an idea of how much this could boost your savings.

Use the calculator if you have retired

The NGS calculator will automatically include your age pension payments in your retirement income. This means you can get a better view of how the age pension can support you in addition to your retirement savings.

Need more help? Why not speak with a Super Specialist?

Have a complimentary chat with a Super Specialist. They can answer your general questions about superannuation, investments, insurance or transition to retirement. Seeking advice is a way to plan for your future, to mitigate risks and make the most of your saving opportunities. Education is integral to the planning process — it's important that you feel confident and informed at all times.