UntilfreeRetiring Early in Australia: Super and the Bridge to 60
In Australia, most retirement money sits in super, and super stays locked until your preservation age. For early retirees, the plan is really two plans: before 60 and after.
Super is locked until 60
For anyone born after 30 June 1964, the preservation age is 60. Super can generally be released once you have reached it and retired. After 60, ending a job can also release it, and at 65 it is released whatever you are doing. Before that, access is limited to narrow cases such as severe financial hardship.
That means someone stopping at 45 has 15 years to fund from money outside super.
Inside super and outside super
- Inside super. Employers pay the super guarantee, 12% of ordinary earnings since 1 July 2025. Extra contributions are taxed lightly up to the caps: $32,500 a year concessional and $130,000 non-concessional in 2026–27.
- Outside super. A share or fund portfolio in your own name, which you can sell at any age. It is taxed more, but it is what pays for the years before 60.
The balance between the two is the core of Australian FIRE. Too much in super and the early years are short of cash; too little and you give up tax savings.
The Age Pension at 67
The Age Pension starts at 67 and is means-tested on income and assets, so a large portfolio may reduce it or rule it out. Many Australian FIRE plans leave it out of the main maths and treat any future payment as a bonus.
Josh is 35 and spends A$4,000 a month. At 4% his number is about A$1.2 million. If he wants to stop at 50, the money outside super has to cover ten years until super opens at 60. Untilfree gives him one date for the total; how much sits on each side of the age-60 line is the plan he builds around it.
A note on the 4% figure
The 4% rule comes from US market history over 30 years. Australians stopping in their 40s may need the money to last 50 years, and many plans for that length start lower. See withdrawal rates for long retirements. Rules and caps change, so it is worth checking Moneysmart or the ATO for the current figures before deciding.
Questions people ask
Can I access my super early to retire?
Not usually. Super is preserved until 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964, and released when you retire after that age or turn 65. Early access is limited to narrow grounds such as severe hardship.
How much do I need to retire early in Australia?
A common starting point is 25 times your yearly spending. A$48,000 a year points to about A$1.2 million, split so enough sits outside super for the years before 60.
What is the preservation age in Australia?
It is 60 for anyone born after 30 June 1964, which covers almost everyone planning an early retirement today.
Should I count the Age Pension?
It starts at 67 and is means-tested, so early retirees with large portfolios may get little or none. Many plans leave it out and treat it as extra.
Does Untilfree work in Australian dollars?
Yes. You can set the currency to Australian dollars (A$); amounts are not converted. Untilfree does not model super rules, tax or the Age Pension; it counts your savings in today's money.
One date for your whole plan
Enter your total savings, monthly investing and spending in Australian dollars. Untilfree shows the date your savings could cover your bills and counts down.
- Amounts shown in Australian dollars (A$)
- Withdrawal rate or dividend yield, free to change
- No account and no bank link
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Untilfree gives estimates in today’s money (after inflation). Taxes and state pensions are not included. This page is general information, not investment advice.
Published · by Srofia