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When was the last time you looked at your superannuation balance? A recent survey found one in three people check it less than once a year.
It’s easy to put off thinking about super when retirement is years away, but there are simple steps you can take to make sure you’re on track.
In our five-part series, we’ve asked experts to explain what you need to know to sort your super, avoid greenwashing and set goals for retirement.
Today, we debunk a claim often made by the $4.5 trillion super industry: that you need $1 million in super to retire comfortably. That benchmark would provide a lifestyle higher than most Australians’ standard of living while working. As Angel Zhong notes, consumer groups set much more achievable goals.
Try our handy calculator to see if your super is on track, and check how your balance compares to other people your age.
Also today, Michelle Grattan unpacks how One Nation “drove a front-end loader through the conservative vote” in the South Australian election – and what it reveals about the vast challenge ahead for Angus Taylor and the federal Liberals.
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Victoria Thieberger
Business and Economics Editor
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Angel Zhong, RMIT University
Try this calculator to see if you'll have enough super to retire comfortably.
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Rob Manwaring, Flinders University
It’s highly likely the One Nation insurgency is here to stay.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Taylor is in desperate need of a strategy to counter One Nation.
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Adrian Beaumont, The University of Melbourne
While Labor has secured a thumping win, which party will form opposition is not yet clear.
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Intifar Chowdhury, Flinders University
In our uncertain times, voters are disillusioned by both major parties – and increasingly attracted to populism. How can the Albanese government best respond?
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Fiona Crawford, Queensland University of Technology
A record Women’s Asian Cup crowd was one of the many positives as the tournament ended in victory for Japan over Australia.
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Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University; Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania
School camps are not just a break from normal classes. They can teach self-reliance, leadership and problem solving.
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Sergey Alexeev, University of Sydney; UNSW Sydney
Children don’t need a flawless example of parents who never drink alcohol. But over time, they notice your choices about when, why and how much you drink.
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Renee Goreham, University of Newcastle
Televisions have come a long way from cathode ray tubes to 8K OLED screens. Do they need to go any further?
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Paula Lorgelly, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
COVID models helped counter the virus but revealed less about the impacts of emergency measures. More sophisticated modelling can help balance trade-offs.
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Politics + Society
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Anne Hardy, Southern Cross University; Giancarlo Fedeli, Università degli Studi di Bergamo
Rather than using traditional marketing methods to attract tourists, de-marketing uses them to keep people away.
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Health + Medicine
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Anthony Dat, Monash University
By the time you have symptoms of kidney disease, any damage is likely permanent. Here’s what we need to do instead.
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Octavia Calder-Dawe, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Kate Smith, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Outbreaks of bacterial meningitis at NZ and UK universities highlight a need for greater understanding and ongoing support for those who survive an infection.
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Business + Economy
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Steven Leib, CQUniversity Australia
Air travel faces major disruption. For those whose plans have been disrupted, there are ways to navigate the uncertainty.
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Environment + Energy
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Tina Soliman Hunter, Macquarie University
Israel and Iran have both attacked critical energy infrastructure sites. So what does this mean for energy prices here in Australia, and around the world?
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Basil Sharp, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Past crises show heavy state intervention can backfire – what should New Zealand do differently this time?
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Science + Technology
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Susan M. Sawyer, The University of Melbourne; Sylvia C. Lin, Deakin University; Murdoch Children's Research Institute
The true impact of restricting young people’s access to social media likely won’t be known for years.
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Books + Ideas
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Darius Sepehri, University of Sydney
This year’s Nowruz, or Iranian new year, will be especially emotionally charged, with war raging in Iran.
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Price shocks in remote Australia
"Saman Gorji rightfully draws attention to the vulnerability of remote Aboriginal communities to supply chain issues – currently diesel fuel costs. In a previous life, from 2003–06 I worked on such remote communities in the western deserts of WA. Food was trucked out from Perth, some 2,000km away, arriving every two weeks. Fuel likewise, and in 2005, Aboriginal people were then paying close to $2.50 per litre at the roadhouse bowser. They also paid a premium on groceries, clothes and other items sold at community stores. So, while we are paying more for our food, fuel and power, let’s spare a thought for our remote, vulnerable and often hidden First
Nations people – I shudder to think what the 2026 bowser fuel price currently is, out in those western desert communities."
Scott Bell, TAS
Is negative gearing a hard sell?
“This excerpt from Michelle Grattan's article on the budget is, I believe, misleading: 'Some government sources point out [changes to negative gearing] would be harder to sell than the capital gains tax change because, although a relatively small number of people negatively gear (1.1 million taxpayers negatively geared properties on the latest available figures), there is a public perception it is widespread and many people aspire to buy investment properties.' The excerpt conflates the number of people who use negative gearing with the number of investment properties that are negative-geared, implying a one-to-one relationship. In fact 25% of investment
properties are owned by 1% of taxpayers.”
Zahro Muladawilah 
We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.
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