Financial Advisors in Canberra, Australia
Canberra's Trusted Retirement Planning
& Financial Advice Experts
Wealthlab is a Melbourne-based financial planning firm that advises Australians aged 50 and over on retirement, superannuation and Age Pension strategy, delivered online across Australia. In Canberra, that often means people who have spent a career in the Australian Public Service, defence or a federal agency.
If that is you, your retirement is genuinely different to most Australians. CSS and PSS defined benefit schemes, PSSap balances, APS salary packaging, redundancy and early retirement packages: these are not things every adviser deals with often. They are the core of what Canberra pre-retirees navigate, and they are what we plan around.
Comprehensive Financial Planning in Canberra
Financial Planning in Canberra, Built for Public Sector Careers
Many of the people we work with in Canberra have built a solid position through a long public sector career: strong employer contributions, a defined benefit entitlement, and often property and personal savings on top. The challenge is not usually getting started. It is coordinating the pieces so they work together as you move into retirement.
As retirement gets closer, the questions get specific:
- Should I take my defined benefit as a pension or a lump sum?
- How does my CSS or PSS pension interact with the Age Pension?
- How do I handle the gap if I stop work before Age Pension age?
- How do I keep tax down as I draw an income?
We work through these online, so you can text your adviser and get a real answer back, without booking time off.
Understanding whether your super is on track is a useful first step. Our article on the average super balance at 60 gives a benchmark, though many Canberra public sector professionals sit well above the average thanks to strong employer contributions and defined benefit entitlements.
Financial Planning in Canberra
Wealthlab is your expert financial planning partner in Canberra.
A Strategic Retirement Framework for Canberra Clients Aged 55–65
For many people aged 55 to 65, moving from building super to drawing an income is the biggest financial transition of their lives, and for public sector careers it comes with extra moving parts. In a personal advice engagement we look at:
- Superannuation and scheme positioning. How your defined benefit and any accumulation balances are best structured for retirement.
- Contribution strategies. Making the most of concessional and non-concessional contributions before retirement, where you are eligible.
- Retirement income structuring. Balancing a defined benefit pension, account-based pensions, other investments and the Age Pension into steady income.
- Age Pension planning. Working out eligibility and timing under the assets and income tests, including how a defined benefit pension is treated.
- Cashflow modelling. Mapping realistic scenarios for both partners, including the years before Age Pension age.
Every recommendation is documented in a written Statement of Advice, with our fees disclosed upfront in our Financial Services Guide.
Government Super Schemes:CSS, PSS and PSSap
Many Canberra professionals hold entitlements in government super schemes like CSS, PSS or PSSap. Defined benefit schemes like CSS and PSS pay a retirement income based on your years of service and final salary, rather than a market-linked balance, so they work very differently from a standard accumulation fund.
That difference matters at retirement. The decisions that come up include whether to take a pension or a lump sum, how a defined benefit pension interacts with the Age Pension assets and income tests, the tax treatment of each option, and how any PSSap or personal super sits alongside the defined benefit. Getting this structure right can make a real difference to your total retirement income and your government entitlements. This is general information only, and the right approach depends on your scheme and your circumstances.
Comprehensive Financial Services in Canberra
From retirement planning to wealth management, we provide tailored solutions for your financial future in Canberra.
Strategic planning to help you retire up to 5 years sooner with confidence and financial security.
Optimise your super strategy to maximise growth and minimise tax obligations.
Pension & Centrelink
Age Pension strategy, assets test optimisation, and Centrelink structural advice to get every dollar you qualify for.
Our senior advisers have 25+ years of combined experience. They’ve helped hundreds of Australian families retire with confidence.
Scott Jackson
Founder of Wealthlab and a Senior Financial Adviser since 2012. Scott’s background in economics and 12+ years of advice experience give him the ability to see the full picture and build strategies that actually work.
Outside work: Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a whippet named… the whippet.
Phil Sproule
13+ years in the industry, from managing adviser teams to coaching the next generation. Phil’s real passion is working one-on-one with families, helping everyday mums and dads plan for the retirement they deserve.
Outside work: Beach, camping, fishing, CrossFit.
Daniel
A calm, thoughtful approach to helping clients navigate super, investment planning, and insurance. Daniel works closely with individuals and families to create strategies aligned with what they’re working towards.
Outside work: Outdoors, cooking experiments, live music.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about retirement planning and our services in Canberra.
What does a financial adviser in Canberra cost?
We offer a free initial call so you can understand what is involved before committing to anything. After that, our fees depend on the complexity of your situation, and we give you a fixed quote before any work begins, so there are no surprises and no hidden costs.
How much do I need to retire comfortably in Canberra?
According to the ASFA Retirement Standard (March 2026 quarter), a comfortable retirement nationally needs around $51,278 a year for a single person and $72,148 a year for a couple, assuming you own your home. ASFA estimates the lump sum needed at age 67 to fund that lifestyle at roughly $630,000 for a single and $730,000 for a couple, alongside a part Age Pension. Many Canberra public sector professionals sit above these benchmarks thanks to strong employer contributions and defined benefit schemes like CSS and PSS. These figures are set by ASFA and updated periodically. This is general information only.
How do CSS and PSS affect retirement planning in Canberra?
CSS (Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme) and PSS (Public Sector Superannuation Scheme) are defined benefit schemes that pay a guaranteed retirement income based on years of service and final salary, rather than a market-linked balance. That makes planning fundamentally different from an accumulation fund. Key considerations include choosing between a pension and a lump sum, how the defined benefit pension interacts with the Age Pension assets and income tests, and how any PSSap or personal super fits alongside it. This is general information only.
Can I retire at 60 in Canberra?
For most people born on or after 1 July 1964, the preservation age is 60, so you can generally start accessing your super from then, and for most people those withdrawals are tax-free from age 60. Because the Age Pension age is 67, you would need to self-fund the years between when you stop work and 67. How that works for a defined benefit scheme depends on the scheme rules, so it is worth checking your specific situation. This is general information only.
What are the super contribution caps for 2026-27?
For the 2026-27 financial year (from 1 July 2026), the concessional (before-tax) cap is $32,500 and the non-concessional (after-tax) cap is $130,000. Eligible people can bring forward up to $390,000 in non-concessional contributions over three years, subject to their total super balance. The general transfer balance cap is $2.1 million. Current as at July 2026. Source: Australian Taxation Office. This is general information only.
What income sources are available in retirement?
Retirement income for Canberra residents usually comes from a mix of superannuation (including account-based pensions and defined benefit pensions from CSS or PSS), the Age Pension from age 67, personal savings and investments outside super, and sometimes income from property or part-time work. Many public sector retirees also have a defined benefit pension that provides a guaranteed income for life. Drawing on more than one source generally gives the most stability. This is general information only.
How can I make my retirement savings last longer?
There is no single rule, but common approaches include drawing down at a sustainable rate (a commonly cited benchmark is around 4% to 5% a year), keeping part of your portfolio in growth assets so it can keep pace with inflation, holding a cash buffer so you are not forced to sell investments in a downturn, and factoring in the Age Pension from age 67. What works best depends on your circumstances. This is general information only.
Do I need a financial adviser for retirement?
Advice tends to be most useful if your finances are more complex, you are within about 10 years of retirement, or you have $200,000 or more in super and investments. For public sector careers with defined benefit entitlements, the pension-versus-lump-sum and Age Pension interaction decisions are exactly where advice can help. Our first call is free, so you can decide without pressure.
Thinking about your retirement in Canberra?
Book a free, no-pressure chat with the Wealthlab team, online and at a time that suits you. If you have a CSS, PSS or PSSap entitlement, we will talk through how it fits your bigger picture, in plain language.