When it comes to superannuation it's a great idea to have a target in mind so you can have some comfort that you'll be well looked after in retirement.
Starting early brings with it the benefits of compound interest and can make what seems like a large savings task much more achievable.
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Savings currently falling short
It's true that, on average, people's superannuation savings at age 60 fall well short of being able to generate the $80,000 per year in passive income I am looking at today.
Figures from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia show that men aged 60-64 have on average $395,852 in superannuation while women have $313,360.
So, how much would you need in your super to generate $80,000 per year in passive income?
Let's do the sums.
If you were able to generate a 10% average dividend yield on your investments, which would be a difficult task, you'd need $800,000 in superannuation.
If you were getting just a 5% return, you would need double this, at $1.6 million.
I would argue that with the benefit of franking credits, retirees can aim for a return somewhere in the midpoint. So, to generate $80,000 from a 7.5% return, you would need to have $1.06 million in retirement savings.
Franking credits are crucial to this equation. If you invest in fully franked dividends, you get back all the tax the company has already paid.
This is because retirees are not taxed on their superannuation earnings.
In practical terms, this means a share paying a 5% dividend yield actually pays 7.14% once franking credits are included.
Which shares might help you hit the $ 80,000-per-year goal?
Infrastructure stocks such as APA Group Ltd (ASX: APA) and toll roads operator Atlas Arteria Ltd (ASX: ALX) pay healthy dividends of 5.36% and 8.86%, respectively.
In the resources sector, iron ore miner Fortescue Group Ltd (ASX: FMG) pays 6.07%, Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) pays 3.67%, and Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) pays 5.04%.
In the financial services sector, Regal Partners Ltd (ASX: RPL) is paying 11.06%, Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) is paying 6.03%, and Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX: WBC) is paying 4.39%.
How to check your progress
If you're keen to check how much superannuation you're likely to have when you retire, it's worth checking out the federal government's Moneysmart website, which has an easy to use calculator.
And if you want to top up your superannuation, it's also worth reading up on concessional contributions, which are contributions you can make to your superannuation each year up to a cap of $32,500, which are only taxed at 15%.
Keep in mind that the $32,500 cap includes any employer contributions and salary sacrifice contributions.
