The holidays are over: let’s get serious about 2025
And in today's newspapers, 'So you want to retire early? Here’s how to do it'
In this edition
Feature: The holidays are over: let’s get serious about 2025
From Bec’s Desk: A quick update
SMH/TheAge: How to retire early
Prime Time: Our top six podcasts by listens… have a listen to these.
The Autumn Flagship Course now 25% off - but not for long
Our Autumn Edition of the How to Have an Epic Retirement Flagship Course has had a facelift and an update — and it’s all ready for 2025. And, the program is booking up nicely, giving you plenty of peers to learn alongside. There’s a 25% early bird discount for a few days more - so make sure you get your bookings in.
Want to learn more or download our brochure? ➡️ visit the website here
Here’s a smart idea - Why not ask your boss to pay for it?! Quite a few of our recent attendees had asked their companies to support them doing the course. And increasingly, I’m getting asked about whether companies can offer it to their staff as a workplace benefit. Yes - they can! So can super funds!
And, if you’re part of a couple — you can do it together on the one ticket, simply by purchasing an extra workbook during the sign up.
Here’s what some of the nearly 1000 people who’ve completed the course in 2024 already say about it.
I would recommend the course to anyone who has ever wondered whether they really know what a truly fulfilling retirement looks like, or could be. Thanks to what I learned over the six weeks I'm now looking forward to my own retirement with confidence and a sense of excitement that simply wasn't there pre-course.” -- Eve
Great course. Great content. I found it very helpful to think about the various facets of retirement that have been raised.” -- Tom
So glad I took the plunge to do this course. I has given me greater confidence about how I would like to approach my own epic retirement. The content was practical and very informative. I will be recommending to my friends." -- Jack
This course has changed the way I think about the next twenty years. I am so excited by the potential of what I want to achieve in the future - as if I was a twenty-year-old again. Thank you Bec - your course has provided me with so much to think about and the resources to find all the answers to my queries. What a difference your course has made to my confidence and future happiness." -- Gail
There’s lots more testimonials in the brochure.
The holidays are over: let’s get serious about 2025
The holidays are winding down, and for most of us, Monday marks the return to normal life. But instead of just reflecting on New Year’s resolutions, I want to challenge you to take practical steps to improve your money game this year.
This is when intentions meet reality. Let’s make 2025 the year we stop flying blind with our finances and start taking meaningful action toward building the life we want.
Set clear goals for your prime time
If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, this is the time to focus on achievable financial goals that prepare you for your prime time and retirement years. Retirement isn’t about giving up work completely—it’s about shifting to a life where passive income takes the lead, and you have more control over how you spend your time. Setting incremental goals can help you boost your financial confidence and create a solid foundation for the years ahead.
Step up your budgeting game
If you don’t have an up-to-date budget, now’s the time to create one. Flying blind in today’s high-inflation world is risky, so revisit your spending habits and build a 2025 cost-of-living budget that reflects current realities. Be intentional with your spending—ditch what’s unnecessary, and redirect those savings toward meaningful goals like paying off your mortgage, making extra super contributions, or growing your investment portfolio.
Audit your subscriptions and direct debits
The start of the year is perfect for a deep dive into recurring expenses. Look at your credit card and bank statements—are you paying for services you no longer use or can bundle more effectively? Last week, I found three unnecessary subscriptions and consolidated others into better plans, saving us hundreds annually. It’s worth the effort, and those savings can fund your future goals.
Get proactive with investments
Your superannuation and other investments are key to your financial future. Log into your accounts, monitor your returns, and check the fees you’re paying. Are you taking the right level of risk to meet your goals? Understand the power of compounding—it’s the gift that keeps on giving if you manage it well.
Learn how super works
If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, superannuation is a cornerstone of your financial future. Use its tax advantages wisely: contribute extra, understand investment strategies, and maximise your returns and get a grip on the retirement phase of super. The system rewards informed decision-makers, so make 2025 the year you get smart about super.
Once you’ve nailed the foundations, treat yourself! Set lifestyle goals that fit your budget and give you something to look forward to. It’s fine to aim for the fun stuff—but only after you’ve built the financial base to support it. Let’s make 2025 the year we take charge and build a life we love.
We’re baack! Wasn’t that a lovely break! This week marks the return of my newspaper columns, the Prime Time podcast and this newsletter. I hope you enjoyed the time off as much as I did.
Over the Christmas break I was still pretty busy on other things that needed to get done. I finished the first edit of Prime Time (the book), so the publisher now has a fully edited manuscript headed into layout design. It’s a great experience the second time around. They hardly chopped any words in the edit either.
We’ve been busy updating the course with all the latest stats and figures, giving it a fresh facelift to kick off the new year in style - with even more functionality. And while we were at it, we gave the whole Epic brand a little glow-up too! This is because we’re building up the Epic Retirement Institute this year as a serious provider of retirement education. Watch this space.
And then it was all about family time. And that was magic.
I’m back at my desk - and the epic retirement course is booking fast. I can’t wait to get your letters when you’re back too. I love them. Please, send them to bec@epicretirement.com.au. or, so I know you’re out there - leave me a comment!
Many thanks! Bec Wilson
Author, podcast host, columnist, retirement educator, and guest speaker
So you want to retire early? Here’s how to do it.
Extract of article published in print in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times, WA Today on Sunday 12th Jan 2025.
As we ease back into work after a few indulgent weeks off, it’s natural for the thought to creep in: could I retire early?
Early retirement – or even just stepping away from work you don’t enjoy – is one of those big, aspirational goals that crosses everyone’s mind at some point. The reasons are as varied as they are compelling.
For some, it’s the grind of a stressful job that leaves them feeling burnt out; for others, it’s a growing sense of boredom and a longing for life beyond the daily routine. Then there are those who simply crave more time with their family or a chance to pursue passions put on hold.
Whatever the motivation, the idea of stepping back early, whether into part-time work or full retirement, before traditional retirement age has a strong pull for many in their 50s – especially at this time of year.
But let’s get real: early retirement takes serious planning. It’s not just about leaving work behind – it’s about building a life where financial security and flexibility go hand in hand.
And it comes with its own set of challenges, like funding more years in retirement, having less time to grow your savings through contributions and compounding, and navigating the reality that you can’t access your super until you’re 60 or later.
But if the idea of retiring early has taken hold and won’t let go, it’s time to talk about how to make it happen – because successful planning follows a clear and deliberate process.
How can you get yourself retirement ready? Read on, in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times and WA Today.
Top six podcasts for 2024
Our first podcast for 2025 comes out on Thursday. But in the meantime I want to highlight some of our most popular episodes so far. Here’s a shortlist you can check out quickly.
Exercise for longevity: How muscle mass improves your lifespan
The BIG retirement mistakes people make and how to avoid them
How to beat relevance deprivation syndrome with Jim Kilkenny
Debunking the myths of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) with Dr Ginni Mansberg
HAVE A WANDER THROUGH ALL THE EPISODES OF THE PODCAST HERE:
Last of all, if you haven’t read the book, you can order your copy from Amazon online and Big W online too. Or pick up a copy at your local Big W, or QBD stores - a reprint has just arrived in stores.
Thankyou for the invaluable information and ideas I have gained from your Epic course, the Epic Book and newspaper articles. Your a champion Beck.
All the best ,
Doug