Team Spirit profile: Georgina

‘After school, I took the working holiday rite of passage that a lot of Aussies do and spent a couple of years working in hospitality in the UK. It was such a great time and I’m so glad I grabbed the opportunity to travel while I could.’

‘When I came back home, I got my introduction to finance when I took up a job at the Commonwealth Bank’s call centre in Hobart.’

After three and a half years in banking, Georgina spotted an ad for a job in Tasplan’s contact centre. 

‘I thought that super was quite interesting, so the job ad caught my eye. I applied and now here I am almost six years on!’

Georgina quickly learnt the ins and outs of super and when a Super Adviser role came up internally, she thought it sounded like the perfect next step in her career.

‘Super is really complex and I enjoy being able to help people understand how it works. So, when the Super Adviser role came up, I put my hand up, went through the training, and now I’m qualified to provide advice.’

Although the majority of members who meet with Georgina are nearing retirement, she loves it when young people come to her for advice.

‘The earlier in life that people engage with their super, the better off they’ll be in the long run. We don’t get a lot of young people coming to talk with us, so when we do it’s a really good opportunity to share information with them that can help improve their financial future.’

The topics Georgina discusses with younger members differs from what she would discuss with someone going into retirement.

‘The main things we cover with young members are contributions and investment options.’

‘Being in the right investment option at the right time can make a huge difference to your super’s overall performance.’

‘A lot of people don’t understand the relationship between risk and return. Generally, investment options that aim for higher returns carry higher levels of risk. And investment options that aim for lower but more consistent returns generally have a lower level of risk. Having that understanding from a young age is really powerful.’

‘It’s also important to get younger members thinking about the impact that making additional contributions can have on their super balance at retirement. We can potentially provide contributions advice to help them understand the difference between not contributing at all versus contributing a small amount over a 30-40 year career.’

See the difference adding just $25 can make over your working life 

* As calculated by MoneySmart’s Retirement planner as at 27 April 2023. Based on the data entered in the above example. The calculation performed by this third party calculator is intended to provide general guidance and estimate only.

Over her six years working in super, Georgina has spoken with thousands of members. One of the biggest misconceptions she’s found people have about their super is about when they can access it. 

‘Often they think they can’t access their super until they’re 67, but this isn’t true. Sixty-seven is the age that people can become eligible for the Age Pension, but they can access their super when they reach their preservation age, which is anywhere from 55 to 60 years depending on when they were born. There are also some circumstances where members are eligible for early access to some or all of their super too.’

One of the most common questions that members have, and the thing they worry about most, is ‘How long will my super last?’.

‘The answer is different for everyone. It depends on a person’s individual budget, so we encourage members to take a thorough look at how much they spend and how much they think they’ll need. That can be quite challenging, but we have calculators on our website that can help with that.’

‘Also, our Compare my spend tool can give members an idea of what people in their age group and region are spending too.’

Get in touch today.

At Spirit Super, it’s our job to know everything there is to know about super. We understand that everyone’s situation is different and that what’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for the next.

So, if you’d like to get your super sorted and feel more confident about the decisions you’re making, let’s chat. Give us a call on 1800 005 166. 

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