No Trans Tasman bubble before Feb.

[NSWP]

3 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Technically and Officially yes . Anyone can travel ...

however the Official  travel advice is 

Do not travel .

Many factors come into play ,availability of transport, cancellation of transport which could find you stranded , border restrictions which can be ,and are , subject to sudden change , re entry conditions ,and so on.

I have heard reports of people travelling through Europe having a great time as there is no one else around at the deserted tourist destinations .

The choice and risk is entirely your own .

I reckon with few tourists the price of a cup of coffee in St Marks Square , Venice, would have dropped from €20 to €5.  Cheap gondola rides too.

Edited December 11, 2020 by NSWP

[windsor26]

33 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I reckon with few tourists the price of a cup of coffee in St Marks Square , Venice, would have dropped from €20 to €5.  Cheap gondola rides too.

You would need a gondola to get around the square at present due to flooding

[pully8]

Thank you for that info.

Sounds sensible to treat people as adults who can determine their level of risk in these challenging times.

In Australia the govt has mandated an alternative view. 

[Stickman1990]

16 hours ago, NSWP said:

You elder kiwis are lucky that you all draw the aged pension, irrespective of other income, not that largesse here. I am 72 paid into a  Work super fund for 36 yrs and get sfa from the govt, no aged pension, no cheap pills etc, pay $80 to see a doctor, 

sure I am not poor, but not rich either.

 

Anyone got a hanky for Uncle Les?

No not once ounce of sympathy for you - let’s consider some facts to balance your statements....

 

In Australia a self funded retiree is always going to be better off than someone reliant on the Government’s pension - in Australia the self funded retiree who doesn’t qualify for a pension or part pension is receiving tax free earnings within their private Super and their withdrawals are tax free, they receive 100% refund of franking credits on investments outside super and they hold assets (other than their residence which can be worth millions) of more than around $850,000 for a couple) - plus for the last couple of decades there has been compulsory employer super contributions. That’s a nice little package 

 

Remember the non means tested NZ Govt pension is taxable - a married couple get NZ$34,000 pa taxable - not my idea of a great life. Plus you have to live with their sub par medical services and definitely pay a fee for every Doctors visit

 

BTW why you are paying $80 to see a Doctor is hard to comprehend - have you not heard of bulk billing Doctors? There’s a safety net for drug costs if you pay a lot for pills each year and if you don’t qualify for a Commonwealth Seniors Health card (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/who-can-get-it) then you’re income level (ie $89,290 for a couple living together is more than sufficient to buy your own hanky

 

No idea about the details of your Work Super fund but maybe it’s even one of the very generous Defined Benefits schemes that used to be on offer - if that’s the case an indexed guaranteed income for life is not to be sneezed at (so you won’t need that hanky!)

 

Self funded retirees in Australia are in a pretty good place IMHO (and I’m very happy to be one of them)

 

Now for cruising to resume and borders to open, when it’s safe, and we get on with spending some of that nest egg

[pully8]

Love travel and agree would be keen to do so again.

Fortunate to not have acted on our plans for a couple of trips overseas by seeing the travel agent immediately prior to the locked borders.

Know many are sitting on FCC and hoping for the best.

Difficult if age/health may restrict future trips.

Interesting about different countries treatment of retirement income.

Always good to be in a position of choice.

Of course the best place to be in is with optimal health.

Would not debate the issue of choice of medical practitioners too many variables.

Similarly wealth or otherwise. Many personal factors. 

Meanwhile we can dream of being free again to do the travel we enjoy while we can. 

Never imagined the current restrictions and dire outcomes for many.  

[NSWP]

55 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

No not once ounce of sympathy for you - let’s consider some facts to balance your statements....

 

In Australia a self funded retiree is always going to be better off than someone reliant on the Government’s pension - in Australia the self funded retiree who doesn’t qualify for a pension or part pension is receiving tax free earnings within their private Super and their withdrawals are tax free, they receive 100% refund of franking credits on investments outside super and they hold assets (other than their residence which can be worth millions) of more than around $850,000 for a couple) - plus for the last couple of decades there has been compulsory employer super contributions. That’s a nice little package 

 

Remember the non means tested NZ Govt pension is taxable - a married couple get NZ$34,000 pa taxable - not my idea of a great life. Plus you have to live with their sub par medical services and definitely pay a fee for every Doctors visit

 

BTW why you are paying $80 to see a Doctor is hard to comprehend - have you not heard of bulk billing Doctors? There’s a safety net for drug costs if you pay a lot for pills each year and if you don’t qualify for a Commonwealth Seniors Health card (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/who-can-get-it) then you’re income level (ie $89,290 for a couple living together is more than sufficient to buy your own hanky

 

No idea about the details of your Work Super fund but maybe it’s even one of the very generous Defined Benefits schemes that used to be on offer - if that’s the case an indexed guaranteed income for life is not to be sneezed at (so you won’t need that hanky!)

 

Self funded retirees in Australia are in a pretty good place IMHO (and I’m very happy to be one of them)

 

Now for cruising to resume and borders to open, when it’s safe, and we get on with spending some of that nest egg

Thank you, defined benefit pension since I retired @ 55, 17 yrs ago, no health care card as over 55K a year.  Now single since wife passed away in May.  No hanky required.lol. BTW, no bulk billing doctors down here, they like to drive limos.

 

I have been shot down in flames, again.

 

Happy cruising Stickman.

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by NSWP

[nnps]

6 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Thank you, defined benefit pension since I retired @ 55, 17 yrs ago, no health care card as over 55K a year.  Now single since wife passed away in May.  No hanky required.lol. BTW, no bulk billing doctors down here, they like to drive limos.

 

Happy cruising Stickman.

 

Les, I think that you'll find that your income from your defined benefit super fund does not count towards income for the Seniors Health Care card. It's not like the income test for the OAP, it only really counts your taxable income, which is not affected by the superannuation pension. I have the SHCC and am also on a defined benenfit super pension.

[NSWP]

4 minutes ago, nnps said:

Les, I think that you'll find that your income from your defined benefit super fund does not count towards income for the Seniors Health Care card. It's not like the income test for the OAP, it only really counts your taxable income, which is not affected by the superannuation pension. I have the SHCC and am also on a defined benenfit super pension.

Yes, but it is income tested, max 55K for singles (me) and max 89K for couples.  I already tried. We had the CSHCC before my wife died, then they taketh it away.🤐

Edited December 12, 2020 by NSWP

[nnps]

1 minute ago, NSWP said:

Yes, but it is income tested, 55K for singles (me) and 89K for couples.  I already tried. We had one before my wife died, then they taketh it away.🤐

Yes, but as I said, your income from your super pension doesn't count towards your income as part of the income test.

[NSWP]

3 minutes ago, nnps said:

Yes, but as I said, your income from your super pension doesn't count towards your income as part of the income test.

That not the way the govt looks at it, they determine it on income stream. I tried again just this morning on mygov, knocked back and my defined benefit super pension is my only income. 

[Stickman1990]

7 minutes ago, nnps said:

Yes, but as I said, your income from your super pension doesn't count towards your income as part of the income test.

Shhh...he’s probably got millions of dollars tucked away in investments outside Super 😂 - so the deeming rate on those will make him ineligible

Edited December 12, 2020 by Stickman1990

[Stickman1990]

21 minutes ago, nnps said:

Les, I think that you'll find that your income from your defined benefit super fund does not count towards income for the Seniors Health Care card. It's not like the income test for the OAP, it only really counts your taxable income, which is not affected by the superannuation pension

Are you sure that’s the case?
 

To quote the Govt

 

The income test will look at both your:

adjusted taxable income

a deemed amount from account based income streams

 

I believe the defined benefit income stream is subject to a deeming assessment so there is a value ascribed to it - check out the details of it here 

 

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/who-can-get-it/income-test

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by Stickman1990

[NSWP]

47 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

Shhh...he’s probably got millions of dollars tucked away in investments outside Super 😂 - so the deeming rate on those will make him ineligible

November Oscar.

[NSWP]

50 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

Are you sure that’s the case?
 

To quote the Govt

 

The income test will look at both your:

adjusted taxable income

a deemed amount from account based income streams

 

I believe the defined benefit income stream is subject to a deeming assessment so there is a value ascribed to it - check out the details of it here 

 

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/commonwealth-seniors-health-card/who-can-get-it/income-test

 

Tax free component is now capped at 10%, originally for me it was 42%.. The Govt moved the goal posts sometime back. Unless I have made a serious error, I am sure I am right.

[Stickman1990]

8 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Tax free component is now capped at 10%, originally for me it was 42%.. The Govt moved the goal posts sometime back. Unless I have made a serious error, I am sure I am right.

Without knowing your personal circumstances it’s difficult for anyone to be specific but that’s probably the case as per:

 

“For defined benefit income streams, we assess the gross payment less the deductible amount. Your superannuation fund will calculate the deductible amount. The deductible amount is also known as the tax free component of your income stream. There is a 10% cap of the income stream’s gross payments for the deductible amount for defined benefits. The cap doesn’t apply to military defined benefit income streams”

 

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/topics/income-streams/27671

 

[NSWP]

7 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

Without knowing your personal circumstances it’s difficult for anyone to be specific but that’s probably the case as per:

 

“For defined benefit income streams, we assess the gross payment less the deductible amount. Your superannuation fund will calculate the deductible amount. The deductible amount is also known as the tax free component of your income stream. There is a 10% cap of the income stream’s gross payments for the deductible amount for defined benefits. The cap doesn’t apply to military defined benefit income streams”

 

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/topics/income-streams/27671

 

Correct and mine is from NSW State Super - Police Superannuation Scheme, not military.  My only income, no stocks, shares, other property besides my place of abode.  As I said before prior to my wife passing away in May we had the CSHCC then they taketh away because I was single and my income not 'split' so to speak. Such is life. So when I leave this planet to go up to the big cruise ship in the sky, my police pension dies with me. Sad I know.

 

I have a couple of retired Defence Force friends down here, their union successfully fought the government 10% cap and they won.

 

Over the years Carnival Corp shareholders have done very well from me,  with funds expended on various cruises, enjoyed them all.

 

Thank you for your advice, do you bulk bill? 😁

Edited December 12, 2020 by NSWP

[dillpickle48]

I'm in the exact same position as NSWP except mine was the NSW education scheme.  When my wife died recently lost my part pension and Health Card.  Such is life. Centrelink were kind enough to notify me of this less than 36 hours after her death.  Fortunately my doctor does bulk bill. Oh, yes my wife and I used to cruise.  We had no other income other than my pension. Thanks for your concern.

[By The Bay]

Bubbles are starting to appear.

 

"New Zealand and the Cook Islands announce quarantine-free travel bubble.

 

New Zealand and the Cook Islands will let people travel between the countries without quarantine, its leaders have announced. Quarantine-free travel could start from the first quarter of 2021".Source ABC

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, dillpickle48 said:

I'm in the exact same position as NSWP except mine was the NSW education scheme.  When my wife died recently lost my part pension and Health Card.  Such is life. Centrelink were kind enough to notify me of this less than 36 hours after her death.  Fortunately my doctor does bulk bill. Oh, yes my wife and I used to cruise.  We had no other income other than my pension. Thanks for your concern.

Thanks John, many of us are in those old super schemes, but numbers thinning, at least we have a guaranteed income every fortnight and not feeding the financial planners, it is all ours.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

On 12/12/2020 at 5:30 PM, By The Bay said:

Bubbles are starting to appear.

 

"New Zealand and the Cook Islands announce quarantine-free travel bubble.

 

New Zealand and the Cook Islands will let people travel between the countries without quarantine, its leaders have announced. Quarantine-free travel could start from the first quarter of 2021".Source ABC

No details ,not helpful.

A typical Govt announcement ....

Its like the announcement you make ,

when you are not making an announcement .

[lyndarra]

2 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

No details ,not helpful.

A typical Govt announcement ....

Its like the announcement you make ,

when you are not making an announcement .

That's what I would call a "Clayton's" announcement.

[NSWP]

4 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

That's what I would call a "Clayton's" announcement.

Could being the operative word. Yes a Claytons for sure.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

No details ,not helpful.

A typical Govt announcement ....

Its like the announcement you make ,

when you are not making an announcement .

What more do they need to say? It seems very straightforward to me. 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

28 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

What more do they need to say? It seems very straightforward to me. 

Come on.

How can the locals get ready when they have no dates.

So you make a booking for when. .?

You organise meals and supplies for when?

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

28 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

Come on.

How can the locals get ready when they have no dates.

So you make a booking for when. .?

You organise meals and supplies for when?

 

 

I took that announcement as an alert about the bubble opening up in the near future, not an announcement that it is open. No doubt the fine details are being discussed now and will be released when the actual bubble opening date is released.