Aiming for a $2,500 per week passive income stream from your superannuation savings would give a comfortable retirement – at least as measured by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, which estimates singles will need $55,923 per year to fund a comfortable retirement.

The amount you deem a comfortable retirement will depend on the sort of lifestyle you are after, but the ASFA standard, which assumes you own your own home, envisages the ability to pay for top-level health cover, to own and maintain a reasonable car, and to travel occasionally.

Superannuation by the numbers

So how much superannuation would you need to generate $2,500 per week, or $130,000 per year, in passive income?

For simplicity's sake, I will assume that a retiree is living off of dividends and not drawing down any capital.

If this were the case, if it was possible to earn a 10% dividend yield – a lofty ambition – you would need $1.3 million in superannuation.

If you were earning 5%, that figure would double to $2.6 million.

I'd argue that, taking into account franking credits, a return of about 7.5% is a realistic proposition.

In this case, you'd need a superannuation balance of $1.73 million.

Stocks in focus

So, what sort of companies might pay dividends that would help hit the $2,500-per-week target?

Personally, I'm a fan of the funds in the Wilson Asset Management stable, including WAM Strategic Value Ltd (ASX: WAR), which pays a fully franked dividend yield of 5.6%, and WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA), which pays 6.98%.

Dividend-focused ETFs can be a good choice also, with Betashares Australian Dividend Harvester (ASX: HVST) paying 5.48% and the Global X S&P/ASX200 High Dividend ETF (ASX: ZYAU) paying 4.25%.

Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI) has also traditionally paid high dividends with a current yield of 4.97%, while among the miners Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) is paying 6.09%.

And among the banks, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) is paying 4.52% fully franked, while Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) is paying 6.25% also fully franked.

How to boost your superannuation balance

If you're a bit low on your superannuation at the moment, consider either salary sacrificing into your super, or making a concessional contribution.

This year, the concessional contributions cap has increased to $32,500, meaning you can contribute up to this amount and pay only 15% tax. However, keep in mind that the $32,500 level includes any contributions made by your employer and any salary sacrifice amounts.

The post How much is needed in superannuation for $2,500 in weekly passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

As the old adage says, failing to plan is planning to fail.

The good news is that even if you start relatively late, there are strategies you can use to boost your super to a level where it will afford you a comfortable retirement.

How much superannuation do you need for $1500 per week in passive income?

Today we're looking at the scenario where you are aiming to generate $1500 per week in passive income from your superannuation.

So to start with, is this considered a comfortable retirement? The short answer is yes.

The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia has calculated how much is needed for singles and couples to have a comfortable retirement, and the figures come out at $55,923 for singles and $78,566 per year for couples.

These figures assume you own your own home and will draw a part pension, but they are well under the $1500 per week, or $78,000 per year level we are looking at.

So, how much superannuation would you need to generate this amount?

Let's assume you can generate a 10% return on your investments. In this case, you'd need a $780,000 superannuation balance.

If you were generating just 5% you would need a balance of $1.56 million.

I'd argue that somewhere in the middle is achievable over time. So if you were generating a 7.5% return, you'd need a balance of $1.04 million.

What shares might help you achieve your passive income goal?

In terms of the shares you might want to have in your portfolio, you could look at listed investment trusts such as Charter Hall Retail REIT (ASX: CQR), which brokers expect to pay a return of better than 6% through to 2030, or Dexus Industria REIT (ASX: DXI), which is currently paying a healthy 6.97% yield.

Alternatively, financial services company Regal Partners Ltd (ASX: RPL) is paying a fully franked 7.42%.

Among the Wilson Asset Management funds, WAM Strategic Value Ltd (ASX: WAR) is paying a yield of 5.65%, while WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA), recently increased its dividend and is paying out 6.94%.

Among the banks, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) is paying 4.35% fully franked, while Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) is paying 6.19% also fully franked.

Among Australian blue-chip stocks, Telstra Ltd (ASX: TLS) is paying 4.39%, and miner BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) is paying 3.19%.

How to increase your superannuation balance

If you're keen to increase your superannuation balance, investigate the viability of making extra concessional contributions up to the $32,500 cap, with these contributions taxed at just 15%.

The $32,500 cap includes any contributions from your employer and amounts contributed through salary sacrifice.

If your superannuation balance was under $500,000 in the last financial year, you can also carry forward up to five years' worth of unused concessional contribution amounts. You can find out how much you can contribute under this rule by logging in to your myGov account.

Non-concessional contributions of up to a further $130,000 can be made each year also.

The post How much is needed in superannuation for $1500 in weekly passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

One of the great things about superannuation is that you can contribute to it on a tax-effective basis while you are working to boost your nest egg.

This year, the concessional contributions cap has increased to $32,500, meaning you can contribute up to this amount and pay only 15% tax.

Keep in mind that the $32,500 level includes any contributions made by your employer.

Another easy way to boost your contributions is to salary sacrifice out of your pay, with those amounts also contributing towards the $32,500 cap.

One of the downsides of contributing extra money to superannuation is that contributions are generally tied up until you turn at least 60; however, on the upside, earnings within your superannuation are only taxed at 15%, meaning your money compounds more effectively.

Now let's look at what exactly you'd need to generate the returns we're talking about.

How much is needed in superannuation for $2,000 in weekly passive income?

This amount on a weekly basis translates to $104,000 per year, which makes the maths a bit easier.

Let's say you were earning 5% on your nest egg. This would mean you'd need to divide the yearly amount by five, then multiply by 100 to get $2.08 million, which is how much you'd need to have invested to return $2000 a week.

If you earned 10% per week, the lump sum figure would drop to $1.04 million.

I'd suggest a dividend return of 7.5% is realistic, which would need a lump sum of $1.39 million.

What high-yielding shares paying 5% to 10% could I invest in?

When it comes to income-generating stocks, steady and reliable can be a great combination.

You might not get great capital returns, but hopefully the income stays steady.

One such stock that brokers are tipping to deliver returns of better than 6% through to 2030 is Charter Hall Retail REIT (ASX: CQR).

Keep in mind that this stock does not pay franking credits, which are also a good source of income once your tax rate drops to zero.

Dexus Industria REIT (ASX: DXI) is also paying a healthy 6.8%.

Personally, I'm also a fan of the Wilson Asset Management funds, such as WAM Strategic Value Ltd (ASX: WAR), which is paying a yield of 5.9%, rising to 8.4% once franking credits are included, and WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA), which also recently increased its dividend and is paying out an identical yield to WAM Strategic Value.

Regal Partners Ltd (ASX: RPL) is also a good option, with broker Morgans forecasting the financial services company will pay out 8.1% for this year, followed by 6.9% and 7.8% in the following years.

Among resource stocks, Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) is paying a 6.77% yield while Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) is paying 5.18%, both fully franked.

Pipeline operator APA Group Ltd (ASX: APA) is paying a 5.85% yield while toll roads company Atlas Arteria Ltd (ASX: ALX) is paying a hefty 8.04%, however both of these dividends are unfranked.

Among the banks, Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) is paying 4.06% fully franked, while Bank of Queensland Ltd (ASX: BOQ) is paying 6.06% also fully franked.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of dividend stocks to consider, but consider it somewhere to start.

The post How much is needed in superannuation for $2,000 in weekly passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But what is a comfortable level of income?

How much superannuation do you really need?

While it's relatively subjective, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) has run the numbers and arrived at a figure that they consider sufficient for both singles and couples to have a comfortable retirement.

This measure, which assumes you own your own home, includes the ability to pay for top-level private health insurance and doctor visits, fast internet, a reasonable car and associated maintenance, regular leisure activities and the ability to travel occasionally.

To afford this, singles would need to earn $55,923 in superannuation income, while a couple would need to earn $78,556.

Today I'm looking at the amount of superannuation savings needed to generate $6,000 per month, or $12,000 per year, well above the level considered comfortable for a single person.

So let's look at the numbers.

Just to get started with round numbers, if you can generate a 7.2% return from your superannuation savings, you'd need $1 million worth of investments.

While this might sound like a high return, remember that superannuation funds benefit from franking credits – in lay terms, they are paid back the tax already paid by a company on its earnings.

Meanwhile, if you generate just a 5% return on your investments, you'd need $1.44 million in superannuation savings, while if you were able to generate 10% returns, the figure drops to just $720,000.

I'd argue that a 7.5% return, the midpoint of these two, is a realistic return to target, for which you'd need $960,000 in superannuation savings.

Keep in mind that all of these figures are based on dividend returns only, and don't assume any share sales take place.

So, what shares could you buy to deliver such returns?

Recently I've been keeping my eye on the funds managed by Wilson Asset Management, which have been paying decent dividends.

Just this week the WAM Strategic Value Ltd (ASX: WAR) fund announced that it had increased its dividend, and would now be paying a yield of 5.9%, rising to 8.4% once franking credits were included.

WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA) also recently increased its dividend and is paying out an identical yield to WAM Strategic Value.

When it comes to operating businesses as opposed to funds, Regal Partners Ltd (ASX: RPL) is a good option, with broker Morgans forecasting the financial services company will pay out 8.1% for this year, followed by 6.9% and 7.8% in the following years.

Among resources stocks Fortescue Ltd (ASX: FMG) is paying a 6.59% yield while Woodside Energy Group Ltd (ASX: WDS) is paying 5.02%, both fully franked.

And among the ETFs, there is the Betashares Australian Dividend Harvester Fund (ASX: HVST), which is paying 7.3% grossed up, or including franking credits.

The post How much is needed in superannuation to target a $6,000 monthly passive income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

All three are paying healthy, increased dividends, all fully franked, off the back of strong returns from the funds' underlying investments.

Dividend increases across the board

Most recently, the WAM Strategic Value Ltd (ASX: WAR) fund reported this week that it would pay an increased, fully-franked dividend of 6.5 cents per share, up 8.3% on the previous year and representing a yield of 5.9%.

This increases to 8.4% once franking credits are factored in.

The fund said in a statement to the ASX that its portfolio increased by 9.5% in the 12 months to 30 June, outperforming the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Accumulation Index (ASX: XAO) by 3.8%.

Chair and Lead Portfolio Manager Geoff Wilson said:

During the year we realised value from a number of holdings as discounts narrowed, supported by increased demand, corporate activity and capital management initiatives across the listed investment company (LIC) and listed investment trust (LIT) sector, alongside direct discounted asset plays.

The fund said further:

The investment portfolio's allocation to cash and cash equivalents was 28.8% at 30 June 2026, reflecting the investment team's disciplined approach to capital allocation amid heightened market uncertainty. Together with proceeds from realised investments, this liquidity enables the investment team to deploy capital selectively into attractive discounted opportunities as they emerge.

WAM Active Ltd (ASX: WAA) also had a good year, with its investment portfolio increasing by a record 75.5% in the financial year.

WAM Active is paying the same return as WAM Strategic Value; however, if you include capital gains, it returned 40.2% for the year to the end of June.

Lead Portfolio Manager Oscar Oberg said:

The investment portfolio outperformance was driven by exposure to four key themes: critical minerals, electrification and grid infrastructure, precious metals and artificial intelligence (AI). Equity markets over the 2026 financial year were characterised by elevated volatility, rapid shifts in macroeconomic expectations and pronounced rotation across sectors and themes. Changes to interest rate outlooks, geopolitical developments and the accelerating AI adoption contributed to periods where company fundamentals were often overshadowed by broader market positioning. These conditions created dislocations across parts of the market, particularly in smaller and less well-covered companies, providing opportunities for the investment team to identify mispriced securities using WAM Active's market-driven approach.

This fund pays out regular dividends

And finally, monthly dividend payer WAM Income Maximiser Ltd (ASX: WMX) is increasing its dividend month on month to the point where, in December, it will be paying an annualised, grossed-up yield on its pre-tax net tangible assets of 7.1%.

WAM Income Maximiser has a 59.5% portfolio allocation to equities and 40.5% to debt.

The post These ASX dividend funds have been quietly increasing their payouts appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Each state has a different school holiday period, with NSW, Queensland, and Victoria among the states commencing holidays today.

Tasmania has the latest school holiday schedule this Easter season. The school break in our smallest state runs from 18 April to 3 May.

So, here's a list of all the ASX shares due to go ex-dividend over the coming weeks through to 3 May.

In order to receive a dividend, you must own the ASX share prior to its ex-dividend date.

Ex-dividend dates give ASX investors two opportunities.

Either buy before the date to receive the dividend, or wait until ex-dividend day, when the share price will likely drop, to buy then.

ASX shares with ex-dividend dates this month

The post 21 ASX shares going ex-dividend over the school holidays appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The fund's managers said in a statement to the ASX on Wednesday that its investment portfolio had increased in value by 14.9% for calendar 2025, and 9.8% for the second half of the year.

Profits looking good

WAM Strategic value also delivered a 158.6% increase in operating profit to $12.8 million after tax for the first half, while total shareholder return was 9.4%, or 10.7% including the value of franking credits.

Chairman and lead portfolio manager Geoff Wilson AO said:

The investment portfolio's performance builds on the strong performance of 2023 and 2024, as the investment portfolio increased 15.9% per annum in the two-year period and 14.5% per annum over the three-year period, delivering shareholders consistent investment portfolio returns. One of our priorities is for the company's share price to fully reflect its net tangible assets (NTA) value. We are confident that our experience in managing listed investment companies (LICs) will deliver this. Investing in undervalued asset plays can take time to be recognised by the market and we believe the portfolio is well positioned to capitalise on opportunities in 2026 and beyond.

The fund said its portfolio performance in the December half year was driven by holdings in listed investment companies with exposure to global equities including Regal Partners Global Investments Ltd (ASX: RG1), Pengana International Equities Ltd (ASX: PIA) and Regal Asian Investments Ltd (ASX: RG8).

The fund's statement to the ASX went on to say:

In the six months to 31 December 2025, the investment portfolio's allocation to equities was 82.7% at 31 December 2025, providing a weighted average return of 11.8% and the investment portfolio allocation to cash and cash equivalents was 17.3% at 31 December 2025.

The fund will pay a fully-franked dividend of 3.25 cents, up from 3c for the same period last year, which equates to a dividend yield of 5.7% or 8.1% when franking credits are included.

The ex-dividend date is May 1 with the dividend to be paid on May 29. The fund's dividend reinvestment plan is in operation.

The fund said since inception, it has paid 18.75 cents per share in fully franked dividends to shareholders, and 26.8 cents per share when including the value of franking credits.

WAM Strategic value shares were changing hands for $1.16 on Wednesday morning, up 1.3%.

The fund said its net tangible asset backing was $1.30 per share as at December 31. WAM Strategic Value was valued at $206.2 million at the close of trade on Tuesday.

The post After a strong performance, this ASX listed fund is now paying a handy dividend yield appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Among the payers this week were BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), which paid a fully franked dividend of 91.9 cents per share yesterday.

Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) also paid out a fully franked final dividend of 9.5 cents per share yesterday.

Some companies that reported their financial results late in the August earnings season are yet to go ex-dividend.

That means you still have time to strategise how to make their ex-div dates work for you.

Make the ex-dividend date work for you!

Ex-dividend dates provide two opportunities for investors.

After a company announces its next dividend, investors have a small window of opportunity to buy the ASX share with the payment attached.

If you do this, you can generate a quick return via short-term income.

Alternatively, you might like to wait until the ex-dividend date to buy, because the price will likely fall, creating a buy-the-dip opportunity.

Share prices typically fall on ex-dividend dates because the stocks are fundamentally less valuable without the next dividend attached.

As usual, there have been many examples of ASX shares falling on their ex-dividend dates this year.

On Monday, New Hope Corporation Ltd (ASX: NHC) shares fell 7.35% after the coal mining stock went ex-dividend.

Next week, a slew of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other ASX shares will go ex-dividend.

19 ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week

Here is a sample of the ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week.

The post 19 ASX shares with ex-dividend dates next week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.