Barefoot Investor Scott Pape reveals how much Superannuation you need to retire

Finance guru Scott Pape has revealed that Aussies only need about half the recommended amount of superannuation when they retire, if you own your own home and are willing to work one day a fortnight.

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia claims singles need about $545,000 when they call it quits and couples $640,000, but Mr Pape disagrees. 

‘The people who calculate the ASFA figure are the super fund lobby. It’s a bit like asking old Dr Kellogg, ‘What’s the most important meal of the day?’ (Breakfast, of course!)’ he said.

The Barefoot Investor author said it’s more realistic to aim for the much more attainable Super Consumers Australia figure of $302,000 for a single and $402,000 for couples.

This is because the median super balance on retirement is $250,000 for men and $200,000 for women. 

But if you have slightly less, it shouldn’t be a problem according to Mr Pape.

‘If you own your own home, get the aged pension, and you’re willing to do a bit of paid work, you could comfortably retire on as little as $250,000,’ he said on his website.

‘I encourage retirees to keep working at least a day a fortnight to supplement their income.’ 

Mr Pape’s analysis comes on the same day Anthony Albanese announced major changes to Australia’s superannuation system. 

Australians with super balances of more than $3million will no longer get generous tax breaks under a new plan announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Taxpayers can voluntarily deposit up to $27,500 a year into their super and pay a low concessional tax rate of just 15 per cent if they earn up to $250,000 a year.

But Mr Albanese on Tuesday confirmed he wants to double that tax rate to 30 per cent for Australians with more than $3million in their super, from July 1, 2025.

That affects some 80,000 people – the top 0.5 per cent of super savers – and would save the federal budget about $2billion a year.

The other 99.5 per cent of Australians would continue to receive the ‘same generous tax breaks’ – meaning the 15 per cent concessional rate would remain unchanged for them.

The graph showed a total of 411,128‬ superannuation funds with a balance of more than $1million. One superannuation fund amassed an astonishing $544million (pictured)

Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that as of mid-2025 Australian’s with more than $3million will received a doubled 30 percent tax

The change won’t kick in until after the next election, due by mid-2025.

The PM argued the plan did not change the fundamentals of the superannuation system and was an ‘important reform’.

He pointed to figures that show 17 Australians have more than $100million in their retirement savings accounts, and one person had more than $400million in super.

‘It’s hard to argue that those levels is about actual retirement incomes, which is what superannuation is for,’ Mr Albanese said.

‘Most Australians would agree that this is not what superannuation is for.

‘It’s for people’s retirement incomes.’