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Writing on FIRE, Super & the maths behind it

The ProjectFi Blog

Straight-talking guides to Financial Independence and Retire Early for Australians. No hype, no US-centric maths.

Abstract editorial illustration of a rising curve meeting a horizontal threshold line and splitting into two diverging branches above the line, against an emerald-to-amber gradient, evoking the point at which Division 293 adds a second tax slice to high-income super contributions.
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Australian Rules

Division 293 Tax: When High Earners Pay an Extra 15% on Super, and How to Plan Around It

Earn over $250,000 combined with your concessional contributions and Division 293 adds 15% to the super contributions that pushed you over. Worked examples, what the ATO counts, and the spouse-splitting and non-concessional levers that change the maths.

Andy··7 min read
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Editorial illustration of a tall slender tree growing past a horizontal ceiling line, with the upper branches casting longer shadows and the lower trunk inside a soft amber-lit ring, against a teal-to-amber gradient sky, evoking the slice of super wealth that sits above the $3m threshold and now faces a higher effective tax rate.Australian Rules

Division 296: the $3m super cap and what FIRE planners need to know

From 1 July 2026, super balances above $3m pay an extra 15% tax on the proportion of earnings above the threshold. For most planners it never bites. For fat-FIRE it changes the marginal-dollar math. Worked numbers, the unrealised-gains debate, and a planning response.

·9 min read
Stylised editorial illustration of a calculator face with small chart icons radiating outward against a soft emerald background and warm gold accents on the totals row, evoking five worked CGT scenarios run through the same calculator.Australian Rules

How the 2027 CGT Changes Will Affect Your Next Sale: Five Real Scenarios

Five real situations walked through our live calculator: a small share sale in early retirement, a portfolio rebalance, a sale at peak earnings, a JobSeeker recipient using the exemption, and a long-held property across the regime change. Each shows the old vs new tax bill side by side with plain-English interpretation.

·11 min read
Editorial illustration of two suburban Australian houses side by side at golden hour, one with a clean modern new-build silhouette and one with a weathered established appearance, against a soft teal-to-amber gradient sky, evoking the new vs established distinction at the heart of the 2026 negative-gearing reform.Australian Rules

Negative Gearing Reform 2026: What FIRE Investors with Rental Property Need to Know

From 1 July 2027, negative gearing on established residential property ring-fences losses to rental income only. New builds keep the wage offset. Pre-12-May-2026 holdings grandfathered. Walkthrough for FIRE planners with rental property.

·10 min read
Editorial illustration of the same suburban Australian house drawn twice along two diverging timeline paths, each with an identical for-sale sign on the lawn — the larger foreground house on the upper warm-gold path positioned before the 1 July 2027 marker representing an early sale, and a smaller distant version of the same house on the lower steel-blue path past the marker representing a later sale, against a sky-to-amber gradient.Australian Rules

Should You Sell Your Investment Property Before 1 July 2027?

From 1 July 2027 the 50% capital gains tax discount on long-held investments is replaced by inflation indexation plus a 30% minimum tax. Selling early locks in the old rules but forgoes years of growth. Three worked examples for property investors deciding whether to sell now or hold through.

·12 min read
Minimalist editorial illustration of a balance scale with a stack of gold coins on one side and an abstract investment-graph silhouette plus house on the other, the scale tipping subtly toward the coins, set against a teal-to-amber gradient sky, evoking the Budget rebalancing tax weight from investors toward workers.Australian Rules

How the 2026 Federal Budget Changes the FIRE Math

The 12 May 2026 Budget replaces the 50% CGT discount, limits negative gearing to new builds, and taxes discretionary trusts. Here is the FIRE impact.

·11 min read
Editorial illustration of six gold coin stacks arranged in ascending then descending heights against a sky-blue to warm gold gradient, with a gentle ascending dotted growth line tracing across the top, evoking the superannuation rule changes coming into effect on 1 July 2026.Australian Rules

What's Changing for Super and FIRE on 1 July 2026 (and What Isn't)

Six legislated changes to super and tax from 1 July 2026 that could materially change your FIRE plans: higher contribution caps, a $2.1m Transfer Balance Cap, the new $3m super tax, Payday Super, plus rising deeming rates.

·13 min read
Minimalist illustration of two parallel paths over rolling Australian terrain, one slightly longer than the other, both ending at the same distant horizon point in cool sky-blue and warm amber gradient, evoking the small but real time delay HECS adds to a FIRE journey.Australian Rules

HECS/HELP Debt and the FIRE Timeline: How Student Debt Pushes Back Your Retirement Date

The FY2025-26 HECS marginal system, the salary-sacrifice trap that catches FIRE planners, and why voluntary repayment usually loses to investing the same dollar elsewhere.

·8 min read
Abstract tapered staircase descending from upper left to lower right against a warm teal-to-amber gradient, evoking the steady reduction of Age Pension entitlement as assessable assets rise above the threshold.Australian Rules

Age Pension in 2026: How the Assets Test Shapes Australian FIRE Plans

The Australian Age Pension tapers at $3 per fortnight per $1,000 over the threshold, a 7.8% effective penalty that reshapes the maths for households with $400k to $1.2m of assessable assets at 67. Here is how to model it.

·10 min read
Minimalist illustration of a long wooden pier extending across calm turquoise water toward a warm golden horizon, evoking the bridge between early retirement and super preservation age.Australian Rules

Bridge to Super: How to Fund the Gap Before Preservation Age

Retiring before 60 in Australia means funding a bridge until super unlocks. Three strategies, one trap, and the sizing rule that makes it possible.

·12 min read
Minimalist hourglass silhouette against a soft horizon, with warm golden sand in the lower bulb and a cool teal sky above, symbolising the rigid waiting period for super preservation age.Australian Rules

Preservation Age in Australia: The One Rule Early Retirees Can't Plan Around

Preservation age is 60 for almost everyone planning FIRE today. Here is exactly what that means, what it does not mean, and how it reshapes your retirement maths.

·8 min read
Minimalist illustration of a winding path leading through silhouetted hills toward a small flag at a warm golden horizon, symbolising the journey toward a FIRE target.FIRE Basics

How Much Do You Need to Retire Early in Australia?

A plain-English walkthrough of the FIRE number, the 25× rule, and how Australian super and Age Pension change the maths.

·9 min read
Minimalist illustration of a calm Australian coastline at late afternoon with gentle turquoise waves and a single empty deck chair on the sand facing the ocean, evoking the coasting-to-retirement concept.FIRE Basics

What Is Coast FIRE and How Does It Work in Australia?

Coast FIRE lets you stop saving once compound growth alone gets you to retirement. Here is how it works in Australia, including super preservation and tax.

·8 min read
Abstract illustration of dozens of translucent probability paths fanning across a soft emerald-to-sky gradient, some diverging upward and some downward, evoking a Monte Carlo simulation of financial outcomes.Methodology

Monte Carlo vs the 4% Rule: Which Retirement Plan Survives Reality?

The 4% rule gives one number. Monte Carlo gives the odds. Here is why probability-based planning matters for early retirees and how to read the results.

·10 min read

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