Could you retire next year with a mortgage, an investment property and two different super balances? In this Australian Retirement Podcast episode, Owen Rask and financial adviser Tahli Cavagnino work through a hypothetical couple’s plan, showing why retirement is less about one magic number and more about the order of decisions.
David and Michelle hope to stop work in June 2027. Their home still has a mortgage; they also hold super, shares, savings, an investment property with a loan, and cash in David’s company. Tahli begins not with an investment product, but with the question that shapes every other step: what will they actually need to spend? She separates regular bills, discretionary spending and one-off costs so the couple can see what their money has to do.
Next comes replacing the pay cheque. Owen and Tahli compare the income the couple’s assets may produce with the costs of holding them, including the property’s loan. They then consider which pool of money might meet each goal: clearing the home mortgage, selling the investment property, drawing from shares or super, and planning the company’s cash withdrawals with an accountant. Timing and tax need individual advice, not guesswork.
Tahli’s final steps are to protect money needed soon while keeping longer-term funds invested, and to plan for both partners rather than treating their super balances and ages as interchangeable. Owen adds a practical sixth step: get every asset, debt and super account onto one page. If retirement is on your horizon, this case study offers a clear starting point for better questions—not a personalised financial plan.
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