Nick is 70 and has worked as a mechanic for most of his life and has been getting super for a long time. On his 65th birthday he retired with $300,000 in his super.

Nick has always planned for his super to be his main source of income in retirement, so he met with his Industry SuperFund's financial planner to discuss his options. The adviser suggested he stick with his Industry SuperFund. He could convert his super into an income stream and start drawing down on it gradually while also taking a small amount of the Government Age Pension as a top-up.

This strategy allowed the balance in Nick's Industry SuperFund to remain invested while Nick could also still be in control of his balance with the flexibility to choose how much he wanted to take as an income and how often. He could also withdraw extra money anytime he wanted.

Nick's balance continued to grow in the early years of retirement while also providing him with an income.

Here's what that looked like:

• Nick's super balance was $300,000 when he retired, and he converted it into an income stream account with his Industry SuperFund.
• Over the past five years he withdrew on average around $16,564 a year from his income stream account and was also able to access the Government Age Pension to supplement this income.
• Nick experienced an average five-year Industry SuperFund investment return of 9.57% (2020 - 2025).
• Today, his Industry SuperFund balance has grown to $370,453

Nick’s Industry SuperFund continues to work hard for him in retirement, while at last he gets to put his feet up.

Nick's numbers

Nick is not an actual member. His story has been created for illustrative purposes.

Modelled outcomes by SuperRatings show 5-year average net benefit results taking into account historical earnings, fees and drawdown amount of 5% p.a. of the main balanced investment options of 7 Industry SuperFunds retirement income products during the first 5 years of retirement. Example assumes the average 5 year Industry SuperFund investment return of 9.57% p.a., starting balance of $300,000, starting age of 65, home is rented, access to the part Age Pension, single, no other assets or income sources available. Modelling as at 30 June 2025. Performance (Net Benefit) modelling is based on actual reported returns over the stated period. Capital growth will not continue throughout retirement. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns may fluctuate over time and can vary significantly from year to year. Outcomes vary between individual funds. Consider a fund’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your personal financial situation, needs or objectives, which are not accounted for in this information, before making an investment decision. For more details about the SuperRatings modelling see the Assumptions page.