Prepared as a user guide for the simulator. As at: 23 August 2025 (Australia/Sydney). This document explains the simulator’s features, inputs, methodology and references to current ATO rules. Laws can change — always check the ATO links.
What’s new in v20
- Strict ATO guardrails applied — First‑year minimum pension follows the 1 July opening balance basis. A member is withdrawable only if in pension or age ≥ 65. Turning 60 during the year does not allow withdrawals unless a pension has commenced.
- Spouse Pension Start Year fixed — spouse commencement now obeys the selected year (subject to TBC and access rules).
- NCC Funding Source (uniform) — choose Loan (home‑equity) or Personal cash for all scheduled NCCs. New table columns: NCC from Personal (annual) and NCC from Loan (annual).
- Administration fees — optional % p.a. and fixed $ fee applied after earnings, shown as Administration Fee (annual).
- Defaults updated — matches the simulator’s defaults (see below).
- Per‑year Return Schedules (You/Spouse) — new inputs accept CSV as
year:rate% (e.g., 1:8, 2:-12, 3:7.5). The Schedule applies after any preset and overrides the base rate for the listed years. - Applied Return (audit) columns — two read‑only columns in the results table show the effective rate used for each member and year with a source pill (Base / Preset / Schedule). These are also appended to the CSV export.
Overview
This simulator projects two super members (“You” and optional “Spouse”) with separate pension and accumulation buckets, contributions (NCC/CC), investment returns, and a home‑equity loan option used to fund NCCs. It applies ATO guard‑rails: bring‑forward rules, TSB thresholds, downsizer eligibility, CC carry‑forward TSB limit, and the age‑based minimum pension pay‑down. Withdrawals follow a selectable order and are constrained by condition of release (member must be in pension or age ≥ 65). It also includes an NCC Funding Source (uniform) selector to fund all scheduled NCCs from either personal cash or a home‑equity loan; outputs show this split in NCC from Personal (annual) and NCC from Loan (annual).
How a year flows (high level)
- Apply NCC/CC/downsizer to each member’s accumulation.
- Commence pension/sweep to pension (subject to TBC) if enabled.
- If NCCs are funded by loan, draw the loan (and add buffer if chosen).
- Loan interest accrues; pay from super or capitalise per settings.
- Pay any principal repayments from super if configured.
- Pay living spend from super using the withdrawal order.
- Check ATO minimum per member; top‑up pension draws if short.
- Credit earnings: pension at gross return; accumulation at gross×(1−15%) for positive returns (losses flow through without tax).
- Close the financial year: capture prior‑30‑June markers for next year.
Each input below notes its purpose and effect.
Defaults (v20)
- Your DOB 1970‑09‑30; Spouse DOB 1975‑09‑30
- Starting Age (you) 57; Years 30
- Existing Super (you) $1,000,000; Spouse Opening Super $300,000
- Returns 8% / 8% (you/spouse)
- Pension Start Year blank (user chooses); Spouse Pension Start Year blank
- NCC per Person $0; NCC Years blank; NCC Schedule (You) 7:250000; NCC Schedule (Spouse) blank
- NCC Funding Source (uniform) Loan (home‑equity)
- Loan Interest Rate 6%; Buffer mode Offset (cover Y1 interest); Include buffer Yes; Buffer first draw only Yes
- Annual withdrawals (living) $90,000; Extra spend when spouse ≥ 60 $40,000; Withdrawal order Pro‑rata
- Apply ATO Min Pension Yes; Min Pension Basis Prior 30 June
- Commence Pension AFTER Contributions (same FY) Yes; Auto‑sweep post‑commencement (same FY) Yes
These are starting values for convenience — change anything to suit your scenario.
Identity & timeline
- Your DOB / Spouse DOB — for age‑based rules (min pension rates; spouse ≥60 extra spend).
- Starting Age (you) — age at Year 1; spouse age inferred from DOB.
- Years — projection length.
Opening balances & returns
- Existing Super Balance (you) / Spouse Opening Super — initial totals (accumulation).
- Return % p.a. (YOU / SPOUSE) — gross long‑run returns used for each member. Pension earnings use the full rate; accumulation earnings use rate × (1 − 15%) when positive.
- Return Schedule (You/Spouse) CSV — year:rate% — optional per‑year overrides. Use comma or newline separators. Percent sign optional; negatives allowed. Precedence: Base → Preset → Schedule (wins). Duplicate years: last entry wins.
Pension settings
- Pension Start Year (You / Spouse) — first year the member commences a retirement‑phase pension (sweeps to TBC).
- Apply ATO Min Pension? — enforces minimum draw per member once in pension.
- Min Pension Basis
- Prior 30 June — minimum = rate × pension balance at 1 July. First pension year usually has 0 minimum. This follows the ATO’s strict 1 July rule: if a pension starts during the year, the first‑year minimum is generally $0 (unless commenced on or before 30 June).
- Opening + contributions — uses the current‑year pension opening after sweeps.
Contributions
- NCC per Person (default) & NCC Years — default amount and years (comma‑separated) for NCCs.
- NCC Schedule CSV (You/Spouse) — fine‑grained overrides as
year:amount, e.g. 1:360000,4:120000.
- Use Spouse? — include spouse member in the model.
- CC per Person $/yr — concessional contributions per person per year.
- Use CC Carry‑Forward? — adds unused base cap amounts from up to five prior years if TSB<$500k.
- Downsizer Enabled? / Event Year / Amount per Person — applies downsizer contributions if age ≥55.
Loan & buffer
- Fund NCCs via Home‑Equity Loan? — if Yes, NCCs are loan‑funded.
- Loan Interest Rate % p.a. — base rate for interest calculations.
- Include Buffer for New Draws? — adds one‑year interest buffer for each draw.
- Buffer First Draw Only? — if Yes, only the first loan draw gets a buffer.
- Buffer Mode
- Offset — buffer sits in an offset and is consumed against Year‑1 interest.
- Capitalised — buffer is added to the loan so the buffer itself doesn’t erode cash.
- Pay Loan Interest From Super? — if No, interest is capitalised; if Yes, it’s withdrawn from super.
- Principal Repayment CSV —
year:amount repayments from super, e.g. 10:720000,14:720000.
- Repay Loan in Final Year? — forces full payoff in the last projection year.
Spending & withdrawals
- Annual Withdrawals (living) — base living spend withdrawn from super each year.
- Extra Spend when Spouse ≥ 60 — adds to living spend once spouse is 60+.
- Min Spend Floor (optional) — sets a minimum annual spend (e.g., to model unavoidable costs).
- Commence Pension AFTER Contributions (same FY)? — if Yes, we contribute then commence in that FY.
- Auto‑sweep post‑commencement to pension (same FY)? — moves accumulation to pension within TBC headroom each year.
- Withdrawal order
- You first / Spouse first — draw from that member first, then the other.
- Pro‑rata — split the year’s cash need by each member’s withdrawable total (pension+accum of members who can withdraw).
- Tax‑optimised (accum first) — within each member, draw accumulation before pension.
Note: a member is “withdrawable” only if in pension or age ≥65.
Preset scenarios
Presets apply a temporary layer of settings to your current inputs and re‑run the projection instantly. Use Reset scenario overrides to return to your originals.
| Preset | What it changes |
|---|
| Planning Baseline (8%/7%, rate 6%) | Sets returns to 8% (you) / 7% (spouse); loan rate 6%. |
| Optimistic Baseline (10% return, 5.5% rate) | Returns 10% (both); loan rate 5.5%. |
| Downturn: −15% in Year 2 | Year 2 investment return = −15% for both members. |
| Two‑Year Recession | Y2 −12%, Y3 −5%; loan rate +1%pt from Y2 onward. |
| Rates +1% from Year 5 | Loan rate increases by +1%pt from Year 5 onward. |
| Rates Up Cycle (Y3–Y6 +1/yr) | Loan rate steps +1%pt each year from Y3→Y6 (cumulative). |
| Rates Down Cycle (Y3–Y5 −1/yr) | Loan rate steps −1%pt each year from Y3→Y5 (cumulative). |
| Conservative: 6% p.a. | 6% returns for both members. |
| High Return: 12% p.a. | 12% returns for both members. |
| ATO: Staggered NCCs (Y1 you, Y3 spouse) | Loan‑funded NCCs: You in Y1; Spouse in Y3 (uses default per‑person amount). |
| Downsizer at Year 6 (+$200k repay Y10) | Enables downsizer in Y6; adds a $200k principal repayment in Y10. |
| No Buffer / Capitalised Interest | Disables buffer; interest not paid from super (capitalised). |
| Spouse 60: +$30k spend | Adds $30k to living spend once spouse is ≥60. |
| Late Shock: −15% in Year 8 | Applies a single −15% return in Y8. |
| High‑Return Window (Y1–Y5) | You 11% / Spouse 10.5% for Y1–Y5, then revert. |
Summary metrics (top cards)
| Card | Description / formula |
|---|
| Super Balance (end of last year) | Total couple super at the end of the final projection year. |
| Super Contribution (total) | Cumulative NCC + CC + downsizer contributed over all years. |
| Active Loan (end of last year) | Outstanding loan balance at the end of the final year. |
| Interest on Loan (total) | Sum of yearly loan interest (before offset/capitalisation effects are deducted/added). |
| Net Wealth Δ vs Y0 (Before Loan Repaid) | SuperEnd − StartingSuperTotal. |
| Net Wealth Δ vs Y0 (After Loan Repaid) | (SuperEnd − LoanEnd) − StartingSuperTotal. |
Table columns & calculations
| Column | How it’s determined |
|---|
| Year / Age | Year index; your age at that year‑end. |
| NCC Eligible (You/Sp) | Badges show whether each member can make NCCs that year considering TSB thresholds, bring‑forward lock, and age under 75 at 1 July. |
| Super group |
| Super Contribution (annual) | Total NCCs + CCs contributed by both members in that year (after eligibility checks and schedule/default logic). |
| NCC from Personal (annual) | Sum of NCCs funded from personal cash that year (based on the NCC Funding Source setting). |
| NCC from Loan (annual) | Sum of NCCs funded via home‑equity loan that year (based on the NCC Funding Source setting). |
| Super Contribution (total) | Cumulative sum of the above. |
| Super Interest Earnings (annual) | Change from earnings only. Pension grows by gross return; accumulation by gross × (1 − 15%) if positive, else the full negative return. |
| Downsizer | Downsizer amounts added this year. |
| Super End (You/Sp) | End‑of‑year totals per member (pension+accum). |
| Loan group |
| Equity Loan (drawn) | Loan amount drawn this year (typically equals NCCs funded via loan). |
| Buffer Added | Offset buffer (or capitalised buffer) added on draw as configured. |
| Active Loan (annual) | Outstanding loan balance after this year’s movements. |
| Interest on Loan (annual) | loanBalance × rate less any offset buffer consumption. |
| Interest on Loan (total) | Cumulative interest since Y1. |
| Principal Repayment (annual) | Principal repaid from super this year (includes any final‑year clear). |
| Spending group |
| Min ATO Pension Requirement (annual) | Per‑member minimums: rate × pension opening (basis per setting). Rates: <65=4%, 65–74=5%, 75–79=6%, 80–84=7%, 85–89=9%, 90–94=11%, 95+=14%. |
| Personal Spend (annual) | Base living spend (+ spouse‑60 uplift if applicable) for the year. |
| Personal Spend (total) | Cumulative personal spend. |
| Interest Payment from Super (annual) | If “Pay from super” is enabled, the interest paid that year from super. |
| Results group |
| Actual Super Withdrawal (annual) | PersonalSpend + InterestFromSuper + PrincipalRepaid (+ Final‑year clear) + ATO top‑ups. |
| Super End (Total) | Couple’s end‑of‑year total super. |
| Net Wealth Δ vs Y0 (Before Loan Repaid) | SuperEnd − StartingSuperTotal. |
| Net Wealth Δ vs Y0 (After Loan Repaid) | (SuperEnd − LoanEnd) − StartingSuperTotal. |
| ATO Status | ✅ Min met, or a warning if a member’s pension couldn’t meet the required minimum draw. |
| Notes | Bring‑forward remaining by member (e.g., “BF rem: $30,000 | Sp BF rem: $0”). |
| Applied Return (You) / Applied Return (Sp) |
The effective investment return used that year; pill indicates source (Base / Preset / Schedule). Included at the end of the CSV export. |
ATO rules & references
- Contribution caps (2024–25): Concessional cap $30,000; Non‑concessional cap $120,000. ATO:
Concessional ·
Non‑concessional.
- Bring‑forward (NCC): Under 75 at 1 July; thresholds (TSB at prior 30 June) to access in first year:
- TSB < $1.66m → up to $360k (3 years)
- $1.66m–<$1.78m → up to $240k (2 years)
- $1.78m–<$1.90m → up to $120k (no bring‑forward)
- ≥ $1.90m → NCC cap is $0
(See ATO bring‑forward table on the NCC page.)
- Carry‑forward (CC): Use unused concessional cap amounts from previous 5 years if TSB < $500k at previous 30 June.
ATO link.
- Downsizer contributions: 55+, up to $300k per person, not counted toward NCC cap.
ATO link.
- Transfer Balance Cap (TBC): $1.9m (2024–25), indexed to $2.0m from 1 July 2025.
ATO link.
- Account‑based pension minimum draw: Age‑based % applied to 1 July balance; must be paid by 30 June.
ATO link.
- Conditions of release / access to super: reach preservation age & retire; cease employment after 60; or turn 65.
Accessing your super to retire ·
Conditions of release.
- Timing: contributions count when received by the fund (by 30 June for that FY). TSB tests use 30 June; minimum % uses 1 July.
Methodology
Return precedence: For each year, start with the Base return, apply any selected Preset, then apply the per‑year Schedule for years listed in the CSV. The Schedule overrides both Preset and Base.
Computation order (per year)
- Contributions: Apply NCC/CC/downsizer to accumulation (per schedule and ATO eligibility).
- Commencement/sweep: If a pension starts this year, sweep up to available TBC headroom. If auto‑sweep is on, sweep headroom in later years too.
- Loan movements: If NCCs funded by loan, draw principal (and buffer if chosen). Accrue interest at the year’s rate path.
- Principal & spending: Pay principal CSV items (and final‑year clear if enabled). Pay living spend, then interest‑from‑super (if selected) using the withdrawal order, respecting access (must be in pension or age ≥65).
- ATO minimum check: For each member in pension, ensure pension draw ≥ minimum (basis: prior‑30‑June or opening+contribs). Top up if short.
- Earnings: Apply returns: pension × gross; accumulation × gross if negative else × gross × (1−15%).
- Close year: Capture 30‑June markers for next year (TSB, pension openings).
- Accum earnings (positive): accum × grossReturn × (1−0.15)
- Accum earnings (negative): accum × grossReturn
- Pension earnings: pension × grossReturn
- Loan interest: openingLoan × loanRate (after offset)
- Actual Super Withdrawal (annual): living + interestFromSuper + principal + finalYearClear + ATO top‑ups
- Net Wealth Δ vs Y0 (Before): SuperEnd − StartingSuperTotal
- Net Wealth Δ vs Y0 (After): (SuperEnd − LoanEnd) − StartingSuperTotal
Notation
y = year index (1..N). YOU and SP denote the two members. All $ amounts are whole dollars.
Ages & eligibility
- Your age: ageYou_y = startAgeYou + (y − 1)
- Spouse age: ageSp_y = floor( ageFromDOB(spouseDOB, year_y_end) )
- Withdrawable set: a member is withdrawable in year y if inPension_y = true or age ≥ 65.
Contributions
- NCC requested (per member): from defaults (NCC_perPerson applied to NCC_years) plus per‑member CSV overrides.
- NCC allowed (ATO): NCC_allowed_y = min(NCC_requested_y, bringForwardHeadroom_y) if eligible (age<75 @ 1 Jul and TSB/lock allow), else 0.
- Bring‑forward headroom update: when BF triggered, track a 2‑ or 3‑year window:
BF_totalCap = 120k × BF_years where BF_years ∈ {2,3} from TSB band.
BF_used_y = min( BF_totalCap − Σ NCC_allowed to date in window, NCC_requested_y ).
BF_remaining_y = BF_totalCap − Σ NCC_allowed within active window.
- CC base: CC_base_y = min(CC_perPerson, statutoryCap) (statutoryCap=30k currently).
- CC carry‑forward (if TSB<500k @ prior 30 Jun): CC_used_y = CC_base_y + min(unusedBaseCapsLast5y, extraDesired).
- Downsizer: one‑off per member if age ≥ 55: Downsizer_y ≤ 300k; does not consume NCC cap.
- Total contributions (credited to accumulation): Contrib_y = NCC_allowed_y + CC_used_y + Downsizer_y.
Pension commencement & TBC sweep
Loan mechanics
- Loan draw (if funding NCCs): Draw_y = Σ NCC_allowed_y (per plan, per member).
- Buffer: if on, BufferAdded_y = loanRate_y × Draw_y (first draw only if that option is selected). In Offset mode it offsets interest; in Capitalised mode it increases the loan principal.
- Opening loan: LoanOpen_y = LoanEnd_{y−1}.
- Interest: Interest_y = max(0, (LoanOpen_y − OffsetUsed_y) × loanRate_y).
- Principal repayment: from CSV and/or forced final‑year clear: PrinRepay_y.
- Loan end: LoanEnd_y = LoanOpen_y + Draw_y + CapitalisedInterest_y − InterestPaidFromSuper_y − PrinRepay_y − FinalYearClear_y.
Spending, order of draw, and ATO minimums
- Base living spend: SpendBase_y = living + (ageSp_y ≥ 60 ? extraSp60 : 0); apply minSpendFloor if set.
- Total cash need before ATO top‑ups: Need_y = SpendBase_y + InterestFromSuper_y + PrinRepay_y + FinalYearClear_y.
- Withdrawal order across members:
- You first / Spouse first: allocate Need_y to first member up to their withdrawable amounts, then the other.
- Pro‑rata: allocate by share of withdrawable totals: share_m = withdrawable_m / Σ withdrawable.
- Tax‑optimised: within each member, draw accumulation first then pension (subject to minimum check).
- Minimum pension (per member): MinPct(age) ∈ {4,5,6,7,9,11,14}%. Basis:
- Prior 30 June: Min_m_y = MinPct × PensionBalance_m at 1 Jul
- Opening + contributions: Min_m_y = MinPct × PensionOpening_m_y
- ATO top‑up per member: TopUp_m_y = max(0, Min_m_y − PensionDraw_m_y_beforeTopUp).
- Actual Super Withdrawal (annual): ASW_y = Need_y + Σ TopUp_m_y.
Earnings
- Pension earnings: Earn_pens_m_y = PensionCloseBeforeEarnings_m_y × grossReturn_m_y
- Accum earnings (positive): Earn_acc_pos_m_y = AccumCloseBeforeEarnings_m_y × grossReturn_m_y × (1 − 0.15)
- Accum earnings (negative): Earn_acc_neg_m_y = AccumCloseBeforeEarnings_m_y × grossReturn_m_y
- Member end balances: SuperEnd_m_y = PensionCloseBeforeEarnings + AccumCloseBeforeEarnings + Earn_pens + Earn_acc
- Couple totals: SuperEnd_y = SuperEnd_YOU_y + SuperEnd_SP_y
NCC Funding Source (uniform)
What it does
Lets you choose a single funding source for all scheduled NCCs (both default “per‑person” NCCs and any CSV‑scheduled NCCs):
- Loan (home‑equity) — all NCCs are treated as loan‑funded and will appear under NCC from Loan (annual); loan draw/interest follow your loan settings.
- Personal cash (inheritance) — all NCCs are treated as personal cash and will appear under NCC from Personal (annual); no loan draw occurs for those NCCs.
Note: Applies to all scheduled NCCs. Overrides the loan toggle.
How it interacts with schedules
- Either source of NCCs triggers a contribution: a year contributes if it’s listed in NCC Years or if a CSV line (You/Spouse) exists for that year.
- CSV vs default rule: if both exist for the same member & year, the CSV amount overrides the default per‑person amount for that member that year.
- Mixed CSV in the same year: if only one member has a CSV amount in a year that is also in NCC Years, that member uses CSV; the other member uses the per‑person default.
- Uniform across years: the chosen funding source applies to all NCC years (default and CSV).
- Downsizer is independent: downsizer does not use this setting and follows its own eligibility & amounts.
Where it appears in outputs
- New table/CSV columns: NCC from Personal (annual) and NCC from Loan (annual) (placed immediately after Super Contribution (annual)).
- Loan metrics (drawn, interest, balance) update only when funding is Loan (home‑equity).
Administration Fees
Inputs
- Administration fee % p.a. — percent of total super charged annually (default 0.5%).
- Administration fee $ p.a. (fixed) — fixed dollar charge per year (default $0). Use this to model funds that charge a flat $ admin fee alongside a % fee.
How fees are applied
- Earnings are applied to each member’s accumulation and pension balances according to the Return % inputs (and any presets).
- Any end-of-year loan clear is processed (if applicable).
- Administration fee is calculated on the total super after earnings as:
adminFee = totalSuper × adminFee% + fixed$.
- The fee is split pro‑rata between members by their end‑of‑year balances, then deducted from accumulation first, then pension.
- ATO minimum pension tests and top‑ups are unchanged (fees do not count toward pension withdrawals).
Outputs
- New column: Administration Fee (annual) appears in the Results table and CSV export.
Notes
- If you prefer to approximate fees in the return, you can reduce the return input (e.g., 8.0% gross less 0.5% fees → 7.5% net).
- Year 0 displays $0 for the fee (opening positions only).
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| NCC | Non‑concessional contribution — after‑tax contribution counted toward the NCC cap and bring‑forward rules. |
| CC | Concessional contribution — employer/SG/salary‑sacrifice/personal‑deductible contribution within the concessional cap. |
| TSB | Total Super Balance at 30 June prior — used for NCC eligibility, bring‑forward access and CC carry‑forward eligibility. |
| TBC | Transfer Balance Cap — limit on total moved into retirement phase (pension earnings tax‑free). |
| Pension (retirement phase) | Account‑based pension; earnings are tax‑free, subject to personal TBC limits. Minimum annual draw applies. |
| Accumulation | Pre‑retirement bucket; earnings taxed at 15% when positive (losses flow through). |
| Downsizer | One‑off contribution (55+) up to $300k per person, not counted to NCC cap. |
| Carry‑forward (CC) | Ability to use unused concessional cap amounts from prior 5 years if TSB<$500k at prior 30 June. |
| Bring‑forward (NCC) | Ability to bring up to 2–3 years of NCC cap forward if eligible based on TSB and age. |
| Condition of release | When benefits can be accessed: e.g., pension started, or age ≥65, etc. |
| Withdrawal order | Strategy for sourcing cash: You first / Spouse first / Pro‑rata / Tax‑optimised (accum first). |
| Buffer (offset/capitalised) | Interest buffer on a loan draw; either sits in an offset (consumed against interest) or is added to principal. |
| Net Wealth Δ vs Y0 | Change in wealth vs starting super, shown before and after deducting the outstanding loan. |
| CSV schedules | Comma‑separated year:amount pairs to set per‑year NCCs or principal repayments. |
| NCC Funding Source (uniform) | Guide setting that applies uniformly to all scheduled NCCs, choosing either Personal cash or Loan (home‑equity). It supersedes the older loan toggle for contributions. You’ll see the result in the two columns: “NCC from Personal (annual)” and “NCC from Loan (annual)”. Note on screen: “Applies to all scheduled NCCs. Overrides the loan toggle.” |
Change Log & Review Cadence
- v1.0 — Initial release aligned to ATO updates effective for 2024–25 and 2025–26 (TBC indexation to $2.0m; SG to 12%).
Recommended review: quarterly, and immediately after each Federal Budget / Mid‑Year Economic & Fiscal Outlook and ATO updates.
Important disclaimer
This is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not tax or financial advice. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy as at 23 August 2025 (Australia/Sydney), laws and ATO guidance may change. Always verify details using the linked ATO sources and seek professional advice before acting.