When it comes to retirement, it's good to have a handle on how much income you can expect to have on hand to get by on.
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How much do you need for a comfortable retimrent?
The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) calculates a retirement standard each year which is a guide to how much money you need for what they deem to be a comfortable retirement.
A "comfortable retirement" includes the ability to afford top level private health cover, to own and maintain a reasonable car, to maintain your home, and to travel occasionally, among other things.
The figures for a comfortable retirement are currently calculated at $730,000 for couples and $630,000 for singles.
ASFA also assumes that the retiree will draw down all of their capital over time and receive a part Age Pension.
For simplicity's sake, I am going to assume a retiree is living off of dividends alone and not drawing down any capital.
In that case, what sort of income stream can you expect from a $630,000 lump sum?
The figures are pretty simple. If you can achieve a 10% dividend stream you would receive $63,000 per year, and for 5% it would be $31,500.
I would argue that a 10% dividend yield from shares each year is unrealistic, while 5% is achievable.
Franking credits boost your earnings
You have to remember that once you are retired, you will get the benefit of franking credits from shares which have them attached.
In simple terms franking credits allow you to claim back the tax a company has already paid on their profits, which can be quite lucrative for retirees who are on a zero per cent tax rate.
In practice this means that if you have a full franked share paying a 5% dividend, the actual return will be 7.14%.
There are plenty of shares which will generate these sort of returns.
For steady dividend returns I am a fan of real estate investment trusts, which often hold a large number of diversified assets, therefore reducing risk.
The Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT (ASX: CQE) is paying a trailing dividend of 6.88%, while at the smaller end 360 Capital REIT (ASX: TOT) is paying 7.31%.
Among the banks Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) is paying 5.65% while Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) is paying 6.22%.
Among the resources stocks Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) is paying 6.87% while Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) is paying 5.03%.
Given these sorts of returns, I'd argue a yield of 7.5% on your superannuation investments is realistic, which would equate to $47,250 per year from a balance of $630,000.
